Top Five Places to Look at the Cira Centre
The Cira Centre, Philadelphia's first new office tower in 15 years, and one of Cesar Pelli's best designs in a decade, quietly began moving in tenants this week, although its grand opening is still a month away. While the tower isn't quite finished, Philadelphians have been cooing over its facets for months. One thing we like about the Cira is its chameleon quality. It looks different from whereever you stand. Here's my list of top five places to admire the Cira Centre:
1 - From Schuylkill Banks Park, north of Market Street. You're so close, you have to look up to see the facets.
2 - 13th and Callowhill Streets. From here, the Cira looks like an iceberg about to crash into the Philly Titanic.
3- 16th and Arch Streets. This is the cropped view that includes glimpses of Aldo Giurgola's white INA Building and Brad Fiske's red Bell Atlantic Building. The Bell Atlantic was the last office tower to go up in Philly and it's nice to know that the office corridor now continues west with Cira blue. The color completes the patriotic theme along Arch.
4 - From an Amtrak train, heading into Philadelphia. The Cira is a banner announcing you're home. Plus its moody glass tells you the weather.
5 - Girard Avenue in Brewerytown. Even from this northern neighborhood, you can see the big ship has docked.
What's your favorite place to look at the Cira Centre?
Read my complete review of the Cira Centre next Friday, Oct. 14, in the Inquirer.
1 - From Schuylkill Banks Park, north of Market Street. You're so close, you have to look up to see the facets.
2 - 13th and Callowhill Streets. From here, the Cira looks like an iceberg about to crash into the Philly Titanic.
3- 16th and Arch Streets. This is the cropped view that includes glimpses of Aldo Giurgola's white INA Building and Brad Fiske's red Bell Atlantic Building. The Bell Atlantic was the last office tower to go up in Philly and it's nice to know that the office corridor now continues west with Cira blue. The color completes the patriotic theme along Arch.
4 - From an Amtrak train, heading into Philadelphia. The Cira is a banner announcing you're home. Plus its moody glass tells you the weather.
5 - Girard Avenue in Brewerytown. Even from this northern neighborhood, you can see the big ship has docked.
What's your favorite place to look at the Cira Centre?
Read my complete review of the Cira Centre next Friday, Oct. 14, in the Inquirer.
posted by Inga Saffron at 8:53 AM
2 Comments:
I wouldn't change a thing on your top five... to make it a top seven, I would add:
6. from the ballpark. Simply elegant. Doesn't look like it's just the guy who couldn't afford to build a tower in Center City (and with another architect, it very well could have)
7. from the parkway... I can't recall the precise intersection, but there are places where you almost feel like the Cira is a building along the parkway and helps to frame that space. I could be alone on that one.
my favorite view of the building is from 23rd st
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