The aging high rise was in desperate need of repair as the ground floor tile walls, designed without expansion joints, had cracked and required patching while leaks in the plaza floor and perimeter windows were damaged and difficult to maintain. UCI Architects was commissioned to redesign and replace the existing windows, waterproof the basement, retrofit the chiller, renovate the cooling tower, replace the roofing under the existing HVAC equipment, and retile the core walls. The client also desired a new identity for the building to be achieved through lobby renewal. The lobby was redesigned and enlarged to heighten security, improve service to the public, and ADA compliance was achieved. Finish patterns gave scale to the unbroken plane of the expansive core walls, and the detailing of the guard booth and curtain wall modernize the space’s image.

Completion: 1999
Location: Philadelphia, PA
850,000 Sq.Ft.