Urban Architecture: Back to the Future
I’m continually intrigued by cities’ ever changing skylines. Before One Liberty Place opened in 1987, Philadelphia had an unremarkable skyline topped off with an aging William Penn. With the addition of the Cira Center, the Comcast Center (dubbed the “Memory Stick” by the Philadelphia media), and eventually, the American Commerce Center, Philadelphia finally has a skyline worthy of a worldclass metropolis. However, are the architects of Philadelphia’s future skyline simply following status quo? In comparison to other major urban structures, Philadelphia’s skyline is kind of…blah.
Take Chicago, for example. Although Chicago has always had an enviable urban landscape, its architecture and outdoor art has gotten exponentially cooler in recent years, and subsequently, so has the city itself. One of my favorite urban outdoor artworks is Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate in Grant Park. What makes this piece so accessible and iconic is the fact that it is a familiar shape; as I call it, “the bean.” Cloud Gate is similar to Frank Gehry’s fish designs in that it is undeniably modern yet takes its shape from the most basic, organic forms.
The trap that Philadelphia architects have fallen into is assuming that “modern” means “Jetson-esque.” Just because a skyscraper is modern doesn’t mean that it must be metallic, angular, space-like.
In addition to being cliche, Philadelphia’s skyscrapers are also recycled ideas. Take a look at Shanghai’s World Financial Center and New York’s Freedom Tower. Look familiar? Like I said, blah.
Philadelphia should take a page from Chicago’s and Taipei’s books and design architecture that is both modern and timeless. Chicago’s Spire is futuristic, yes, but it doesn’t feel trite, because nothing like the spiral skyscraper has been done before. Taipei’s Taipei 101 is also wonderfully designed because it is a modern twist on ancient structures like Incan and Mayan temples.
Tags: American Commerce Center, architecture, Chicago, Freedom Tower, futuristic, icon, Incan, Mayan temples, past, Philadelphia, Shaghai, Taipei
November 1st, 2008 at 2:09 pm
The real hit will be the Burj Dubai when finished. The design is not only elegant and flawless, but it is also nearly 2 times taller than the Taipei 101. It will be 818 meters tall, and soon to be finished. Can’t wait myself!