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
| Oct 4, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Gold Winner: Wake Forest Biotech Place, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Reconstruction centered on Building 91.1, a historic (1937) five-story former machine shop, with its distinctive façade of glass blocks, many of which were damaged. The Building Team repointed, relocated, or replaced 65,869 glass blocks.
| Sep 7, 2012
Net-zero energy pioneers on the el-hi frontier
Getting to net-zero is not easy, but the promise of eliminating energy bills and using state-of-the-art technology as a learning lab can make a compelling case to reach for net-zero.
| Aug 30, 2012
John S Clark Co. completes teaching lab at UNC Wilmington
Three-story building provides offices, classrooms, and labs.
| Aug 15, 2012
Skanska to build the Beacon High School in New York City
The Beacon High School will be located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.
| Aug 7, 2012
Shedding light on the arts
Renovating Pietro Belluschi’s Juilliard School opens the once-cloistered institution to its Upper West Side community.
| Jul 25, 2012
KBE Building renovates UConn dining hall
Construction for McMahon Dining Hall will be completed in September 2012.
| Jul 20, 2012
2012 Giants 300 Special Report
Ranking the leading firms in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction.
| Jul 16, 2012
Business school goes for maximum vision, transparency, and safety with fire rated glass
Architects were able to create a 2-hour exit enclosure/stairwell that provided vision and maximum fire safety using fire rated glazing that seamlessly matched the look of other non-rated glazing systems.
| Jun 1, 2012
New BD+C University Course on Insulated Metal Panels available
By completing this course, you earn 1.0 HSW/SD AIA Learning Units.
| May 31, 2012
2011 Reconstruction Award Profile: Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College
Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College has been reconstructed to serve as the core of social life on campus.
