Nation's tallest sustainable skyscraper rises 975 feet
By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 6/9/2008 3:19:00 PM
Amidst loud cheers and applause from more than 500 spectators, officials opened the newest, tallest, and greenest member of the Philadelphia skyline—Comcast Center—at a reception on June 6.
The 58-floor, glass-encased tower rises 975 ft, surpassing One Liberty Place as the city's tallest building. A high performance green building, it has been designed to achieve LEED certification from the US Green Building Council.
Comcast Center features 1.25 million sq. ft of Class A office, restaurant and retail space; a dramatic eight-story winter garden that includes a major art installation by sculptor Jonathan Borofsky; a half acre public plaza with a seasonal café and unique fountain installation; and "The Comcast Experience," a ground-breaking hi-definition video wall standing 83.3 ft wide by 25.4 ft high, showcasing the intersection of media, technology, and public art.
Comcast Corporation leases more than 90% of the building. The "vertical campus" for the provider of entertainment, information, and communications products and services, will house more than 2,900 Comcast workers in a dozen departments, including the company's corporate headquarters, Comcast Interactive Capital (the company's venture capital arm), Comcast Interactive Media (the company's Internet businesses), and all of the headquarters functions for the company's Programming Division. Comcast University, the company's training and development program, is also in residence.
Comcast Center was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, New York, led by the firm's founder and senior partner Robert A.M. Stern. Celebrating the opening of Comcast Center, Stern said, "We have realized the dream of a great building that will house a great company and that will be a meeting place for all Philadelphia as we move forward into the 21st Century."
Kendall Heaton Associates of Houston, Texas, served as architect-of-record for the building. Atelier Ten of London and New York was the environmental design consultant.
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Hi, Dave.
Good question.
As reported in Mid-Atlantic Construction in 2005, the MEP firm was Paul H. Yeomans (PHY) in Philadelphia.
Paste this address into your browser window: midatlantic.construction.com/news/industry/archive/0503.asp
Too often, MEP firms are not reported in announcements about the design and construction of buildings. I remember when the "Big and Green" exhibit toured the U.S. Architects were getting a lot of credit for the performance aspects of the buildings (how much energy and water there were saving, etc.), and I asked, so, who were the engineers? I never got answers.
I'm seeking some additional information about the building and we'll post an update in the future. And, we'll be more careful with our own reporting in the future.
Michael
Michael Ivanovich - 6/18/2008 4:26:00 PM CDT -
OK CSE who was the engineer on the project for the MEP design?
Dave Holst - 6/18/2008 12:02:00 PM CDT
