Developers revealed the first major building at Philadelphia’s Schuylkill Yards, a $3.5 billion project for Drexel University.
Curbed Philadelphia reports that an exec from the developer, Brandywine Realty Trust, shared plans for a 700,000-sf property that will have a lab and offices.
The building will be one of the centerpieces for the project at University City, a section of the eastern edge of Philadelphia next to the Schuylkill River that houses Drexel along with the University of Pennsylvania and University of the Sciences.
With 14 acres of underutilized land and 6.5 acres of public space, SHoP Architects and West 8 will transform the neighborhood into an innovation hub. Schuylkill Yards will have a bit of everything: educational facilities, research labs, corporate offices, retail shops, and hospitality and cultural venues. The existing One Drexel Plaza will be turned into 1.3-acres worth of multifunctional public space.
“The plan envisions a new gateway to University City — one that is dynamic, diverse, open and inviting,” SHoP said on its website.
Along with the mixed-use buildings, the neighborhood will have 2 million sf of living areas, including one residential tower that will have both luxury and market rate units.
Developers expect Schuylkill Yards to generate economic growth for the city, due to its access to talented individuals and capital. A nearby Amtrak stop connects the district to cities in the Northeast Corridor, and it’s only seven miles away from the Philadelphia International Airport.
The lab and office building will not be completed until 2020 and the entire project will take 20 years to build.
Click image to enlarge.
Click image to enlarge.
Related Stories
| Jul 7, 2014
7 emerging design trends in brick buildings
From wild architectural shapes to unique color blends and pattern arrangements, these projects demonstrate the design possibilities of brick.
| Jul 2, 2014
Emerging trends in commercial flooring
Rectangular tiles, digital graphic applications, the resurgence of terrazzo, and product transparency headline today’s commercial flooring trends.
| Jul 1, 2014
Winning design by 3XN converts modernist bathhouse to university library
Danish firm 3XN's design wins competition for a new educational facility for Mälardalen University in Sweden, which will house a library, communal spaces, and offices for 4,500 students and staff.
| Jun 23, 2014
Gehry's 'glass sail' cultural center for Foundation Louis Vuitton set to open in October
Comissioned by Bernard Arnault, American legendary architect Frank Gehry's newest structure in Paris for Foundation Louis Vuitton will house eleven galleries and an auditorium for performing arts.
| Jun 20, 2014
HOK releases proposal for Obama Library and Museum Campus
Proposal would locate the library in Chicago's historic Bronzeville neighborhood, aiming for urban revitalization as well as Living Building certification.
| Jun 20, 2014
First look: Hive-like 'Learning Hub' to be built in Singapore
In a competition to design a "Learning Hub" for students at Nanyang University in Singapore, London-based firm Heatherwick studio has won with a rounded, hive-like design.
| Jun 18, 2014
Study shows walkable urbanism has positive economic impact
Walkable communities have a higher GDP, greater wealth, and higher percentages of college grads, according to a new study by George Washington University.
| Jun 18, 2014
Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components
The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.
| Jun 16, 2014
6 U.S. cities at the forefront of innovation districts
A new Brookings Institution study records the emergence of “competitive places that are also cool spaces.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Zaha Hadid's 'gravity defying' Issam Fares Institute opens in Beirut
The design builds upon the institute’s mission as a catalyst and connector between AUB, researchers and the global community.
