Arthaus, KPF’s first residential tower in Philadelphia, tops off

by sadia_badhon | February 23, 2021 6:29 am

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates[1] (KPF), Arthaus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has topped off. The firm’s first residential tower in the city, the 47-story structure is located along the famed Avenue of the Arts directly across the street from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts[2].

“As a Philadelphia native, I feel immensely proud of this project,” said Eugene Kohn, KPF chairman. “Arthaus is a major addition to the city skyline, marking the Arts District from afar, and is a testament to the vision and hard work of the entire team, led by Carl Dranoff. This building’s design is elegant and well detailed, and thanks to many collaborators, its construction and execution have progressed seamlessly despite the challenging times.”

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Arthaus’ design is inspired by its context, with a glass façade, vertical expression, and an orthogonal massing of four bundled rectangular volumes. At the base of Arthaus, brick and terra cotta feature walls along Broad and Spruce Streets relate to the material language of the neighborhood, while the tower’s high-performing glass façade is detailed with white aluminum mullions that add texture and variety.

In plan, units are organized in a pinwheel shape around a central core, allowing each residence to occupy a corner of the building. With large windows and two exposures, every apartment is flooded with natural light and offers panoramic views of the Avenue of the Arts, the Philadelphia skyline, the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, and beyond. The tower’s broad spans and well-integrated structure enabled more freedom with unit layouts, creating large, open-plan living spaces. Each unit also features a 2-m (8-ft) deep by 5-m (16-ft) wide balcony, sheltered by a wind screen, creating a private outdoor room for residents. On the upper floors, the interlocking boxes of Arthaus’ massing rise to different heights, providing larger outdoor terraces for penthouse units while creating a distinctive tower top on the Philadelphia skyline.

Arthaus features more than 3345 m² (36,000 sf) of amenities, including a rooftop greenhouse. The building’s outdoor spaces will feature individual gardening beds, a reflecting pool, lawn, and sun deck. Additional amenities include a 23-m (75-ft) indoor lap pool and state-of-the-art fitness center overlooking the Kimmel Center, a library, board room, club room, dining salon, café, and kids’ playroom.

Arthaus is slated for occupancy in early 2022.

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/arthaus-kpfs-first-residential-tower-in-philadelphia-tops-off/

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