At a transit-oriented development across the street from Philadelphias 30th Street Station, the location is a winner for everyone but the design and construction team. The site is convenient to commuter rail and Amtrak trains but is hemmed in on all sides, which created tough logistics. And the office towers many angles and facets presented a bevy of engineering concerns.
The 790,000-sq-ft office tower, designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates, New Haven, Conn., has a crystalline form. The 29-story building may not be very tall but, thanks to its geometry and location, it has many "structural nuances," including sloped columns, says P.V. Banavalkar, president of the structural engineer, Ingenium Inc., Houston.