What are the 10 most essential buildings in Philadelphia?

[carloss]

This game is sort of the desert island version for architecture: if you could only save ten buildings in Philadelphia (e.g. from an alien invasion, nuclear war, replicate them in a distant galaxy etc.), which ten would you choose?

You are given City Hall and Independence Hall as freebies. For the rest, there are no limits on building type, size, style, architect, etc. -- only that they must still be standing (yes, Divine Lorraine is permitted).

My list, in no special order:

1. Academy of Music
2. Masonic Temple
3. PA Academy of Fine Arts
4. Art Museum
5. Victory Building
6. 30th Street Station
7. Church of the Advocate
8. Drake
9. Memorial Hall
10.Wyck House

[CHIOSSO]

:::

[raider.adam]

My house.

Cause that's where I live.

[Titus]

In no order:
1.PAFA
2.Wyck House
3.Second Bank of the US
4.Furness Library at Penn
5.St Mark's on Locust
6.The Drake
7.The Waterworks
8.1800 Block of Delancey (sorry can't subdivide and it's the sum of the parts...)
9.Cliveden
10.Philadelphia Museum of Art (but I can't decide if it should be the Rodin Museum instead)

[carloss]

My house.

Cause that's where I live.

Feelin' clever today, are we?

[billy ross]

No Guild House? Just kidding, of course.

How could you forget the first penitentiary in the world? The technological wonder that is the Waterworks? The first Greek Revival building in the world? The original Reichtag too maybe? The house Benedict Arnold sold out his country for?

[DCnPhilly]

PSFS Building
Divine Lorraine
Carpenter's Hall
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Academy of Music
Elfreth's Alley (I'm going with landmark locations)
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Wanamakers
Reading Terminal
30th Street Station

It's tough. We got a lot.

[raider.adam]

Feelin' clever today, are we?

No different than any other day!

[Matthias]

Old Swede's Church at Columbus and Washington has got to be in there somewhere.

[carloss]

How could you forget the first penitentiary in the world? The technological wonder that is the Waterworks? The first Greek Revival building in the world? The original Reichtag too maybe? The house Benedict Arnold sold out his country for?

Original Reichstag??? Never heard that before...

But really, given enough time to reconsider, I could see myself swapping out Mem. Hall or 30th St. for one of Strickland's masterpieces. Or PSFS, 1616 Walnut, the Union League...and any church would be hard to let go of among Old Swedes, Tenth Presbyterian, Shiloh Baptist, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Francis of Assisi, etc...Hey, I never said it would be easy.

[Titus]

And PSFS - What was I thinking to let that go?!

[OldMama]

Original Reichstag??? Never heard that before...

But really, given enough time to reconsider, I could see myself swapping out Mem. Hall or 30th St. for one of Strickland's masterpieces. Or PSFS, 1616 Walnut, the Union League...and any church would be hard to let go of among Old Swedes, Tenth Presbyterian, Shiloh Baptist, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Francis of Assisi, etc...Hey, I never said it would be easy.

Which St. Francis of Assisi do you mean? The one in Germantown? If so, I agree that it's magnificent. I grew up there and now wonder what will happen to the building and the beautiful statuary now that it's closed.

[Colin P. Varga]

• PSFS
• 30th Street Station
• 1 Penn Center
• 30th Street Post Office
• Rittenhouse Sq. (the park itself)
• City Hall
• Independence Hall
• Water Works
• Academy of Music
• Reading Terminal
• Art Museum

I based this list on buildings that have an impact on people in Philly either through use (which includes history) or visual properties as part of Philadelphia as a whole. While PSFS is not used by everyone in Philly it is highly visible and recognized. The Art Museum is much the same case, while not used by everyone it has a pride of place and it is uniquely Philly.

I left off ESP because while it is a large part of the landscape of Philly I didn't think the loss of it would effect people as much as some other buildings. I recognized the history, but essentially ESP is unused.

I also left off churches and temples because while many are historically significant people don't actually need them to practice their faiths. So I didn't think they fit the "essential" Philadelphia category.

Rittenhouse Sq.? OK, it's not a building, but if we are going to save 9 buildings people also need a place that isn't a building. That was the original plan of Philly: buildings and parks.

[OldMama]

One of the things I love about Philadelphia is the spectacular architecture. As good as any US city. I couldn't begin to whittle my list to 10.

[OffenseTaken]

The great architectural masterpiece of Philadelphia is the coherent mass of rowhouses that, while maybe nothing special one by one, constitute one extraordinary outdoor living room. Every one of these, from the towering palaces of Delancey Place to the sensible Airlites of the least fashionable quarters, is a part of this masterpiece.

But I'm guessing that doesn't count, so:

1. PSFS, hands down
2. Drake
3. PAFA
4. Eastern State
5. Academy of Music
6. Furness Library
7. Franklin Field
8. Society Hill Towers (counts as one; suck it)
9. Met Opera House
10. The new Barnes

If we don't rescue a museum, does that mean the artworks within it also go? I think the PMA building is absolutely expendable, but "Nude Descending a Staircase" and van Gogh's Sunflowers are not.

[MarketStEl]

Well, since this is up my alley, I should probably respond.

Even though some of the improvements would be damaged, I would assume a park would regenerate itself, so I'll leave them to fend for themselves. Otherwise, I'd include either Rittenhouse or Washington squares on my list.

Now, on to the buildings:

1. PSFS
2. Furness Building (University Library), University of Pennsylvania
3. The house Robert Venturi designed for his mother in Chestnut Hill
4. Dorrance Hamilton Hall, University of the Arts, and its later Frank Furness extension (originally Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and Dumb)
5. Elfreth's Alley as an ensemble
6. Christ Church
7. American Academy of Music
8. Hill House, University of Pennsylvania
9. Society Hill Towers
10. One Liberty Place, for the sole reason that it was the building that gave Philadelphia permission to create a real skyline

[Brian616]

10. One Liberty Place, for the sole reason that it was the building that gave Philadelphia permission to create a real skyline

Agree completely. I was wondering when this would be brought out. I agree with the rest of your list save #9, which I'd swap out for the 2300 block of St. Albans' Street (AKA the Sixth Sense garden block). That plus the two Madison Sq blocks are some of the coolest places in any city.

[thoth]

Youse guys got such a boner for PSFS. Sure, it's an important building in terms of the progression of architecture, but I honestly think it's kind of ugly.

Also the Hill House and Society Hill Towers might be two of the most anti-urban buildings ever constructed in Philadelphia. ****, the Guild House is more street friendly, and it's about as attractive as Hill.

I think Art Museum should be a freebie with City Hall/Indy Hall, so I'm not including that. In no order

University of Penn Museum (can't believe no one mentioned this)
Merchant Exchange/Germantown Township Hall clone
The Drake
ESP
Founders Hall
Centennial Hall
Conwell/Carnell Halls
2nd Bank of the US
Mellon Center (best of big jawns)
Any remaining Furness buildings (PAFAFisher is great, but they're all important)

[OldMama]

One beautiful building is sitting idle in a prime location. The old Board of Education building on the Parkway must have been gorgeous when it was built. The interior was a mess with offices and cubicles added willy nilly with no thought to aesthetics. I remember the day I was hired being awed by the most beautiful drinking fountain I had ever seen.

[2happy4u]

US Custom House
Genos steaks
all 3 stadiums
round house
city hall
Starbucks broad & Jackson
john wanamaker building