One Liberty Place
Philadelphia, USA

HEIGHT: 288m/945 feet
FLOORS: 61 floors
COMPLETION: 1987
ARCHITECT: Murphy/Jahn

If built in the 1920s or '30s, a building the same height as Liberty Place would require 40 to 50 pounds of structural steel per square foot. Amazingly this structure at One Liberty Place contains only 23 pounds of structural steel per square foot. Office floors range from 24,000 square feet on the lower floors to a mere 1,300 square feet at the building's peak. In total there are over 1.2 million square feet used as both office and retail space.

To resist lateral wind loads, a system of super-diagonal outriggers was designed. Essentially the eight outriggers, which are at three locations within the structure, transfer wind loads from the building's facade to the core.

The tower is sheathed in a mix of sapphire-blue glass and metal. All four corners are cut away, breaking the square box form. Blue and gray granite piers and horizontal bands occur at one, two, and four-story intervals on the building's facade.

For nearly 100 years no building in Philadelphia dared to challenge the height of City Hall. An unwritten agreement that the statue of William Penn atop the spire on the Hall would remain the highest point of the city kept the skyline free of any structure higher than 491 feet. Willard Rouse, developer of the tower, lobbied for a high-rise zone district in the heart of the city. Although this idea encountered great controversy, the plan for One Liberty Place was eventually approved by virtue of the prospective increase in revenue and jobs. Also it would open the way for even more such buildings.

The facade echoes the popular Art-Deco style first unveiled at the Paris Exposition of 1925. Although it is often compared to William Van Alen's Chrysler Building in New York, Liberty Place displays a more robust body and less ornate crown in addition to containing more modern materials.

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8.5/10

The top is its winning point. Very similar to Chrysler. My only wish is that it were a bit slimmer at its base and maybe taller. But this is definitely an excellent building!

one of my favorite towers in the WORLD!!! a rare 10/10 . . if anybody votes this below a 5 im gonna slap them;)

9/10. I just wish it was a little taller. :)

There seems to be a handful of similar skyscapers (key tower,cleveland, 2 prudential plaza, chicago & bank of america, atlanta) constructed in the wake of this one.

Though obviously influenced by the chrysler bldg, this is the best of the recent 'throwbacks' to chrysler IMO. 9.5/10

Very nice, the top is as good as that of 2 Prudential Plaza in Chicago and Chrysler Building in NYC.

9/10

One of my favorite American buildings.. I love the design for the top! :) 9/10

I like this one, the only bad thing about it is its base which doesn't look that good. But still a 9/10 :)

9.5/10

10/10 :okay:

i love it!

The underwear I'm wearing right now I bought from a store in the base of it. Just thought you should know that.

I don`t like the top of the tower and the color of the facade, 5/10

I like it. Doesn't look all that well. Still good. 7/10

The top is a work of art 9.5/10

Gotta love the glass, steel, and stone that broke the cap of William H. Penn! 9.

This building shouts,Look at Me.
Philly needed this one. I'll give it a 9 for strength.

Never have liked it that much. It seems benign to me, it lacks that extra "umph".

It's tall though and an icon for Philly. I love Philly:D

7.5/10

9.5/10 One of my all time favorites. This is what a skyscraper should be. Have seen it in person too. :drool:

a modernized Chrysler?
7.5/10!

Its a nice looking glass building and the crown aint to bad either.

8.5/10

this building gave Philly a distinctive skyline...the top is awesome..
overall 9/10

9/10 - very nice!! Love the blend of Art Deco styling and glass curtain walls, the top (a really good take off on my fave, the Chrysler Building) the good use of setbacks, and the impressive base. The tower might have been a *bit* slimmer, but it still has good height - all in all, proof that there are still good architects out there :okay:

this thing is perfect in my opinion and although it isn't even 20 years old yet i am positive that it will be considered a classic 50 years down the road. jahn's best skyscraper in my opinion.

10/10

A bit deja vu all over again, no? :) 8.

I like this one very much!
9/10

The only noticeable thing about this tower is the top, which to me seems like a Chrysler rip off. Apart from that, it's just one tall glass covered stack of floors, in which no one can even open a window. Both building and design don't have s shred of innovation in it. I'm growing tired of these kinda buildings awfully fast: 4.5/10.

From the first moment I saw this building, it instantly became
one of my favorite skyscrapers on Earth. Philadelphia is
lucky to have gotten this amazing tower. They should be proud
to have this as their tallest building. I love the way it looks like
a glass Empire State Building.

I LOVE THIS BUILDING, 10!!!

8.5/10

I like this buiilding

I ALWAYS LIKED THIS ONE !:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !!:) !:) !

!:) !:) !!:) !:) 10/10 :) !:) !!:) !:) !

10/10

One of my favorites!

The top multi layered roof strikingly resembles the royal palace of Bangkok.The rather good building but the lack of originality and 'character' makes it feel like a modern Chrysler replicate

Great
And the top is very good
10/10

This one is in my top 10 list!
No not that one from David Letterman! :bash:
9.5/10

very nice building,
7/10

10/10 The perfect skyscraper. BEAUTIFUL top!

If this building is influenced by the Chrysler, it is probably a much more shiny copy of it. 9/10 for not being original enough? :)

8.5, the building seems like a knockoff of Chrysler but the second tower redeems it a little, the mall at the base is nice too

Don't like its colors. The roof could be more worked out, and the rest would then need more visual connection with that worked-out roof.

Wow!! I really like this one! :D The top looks abit like the Chrysler! Great stuff.. :cheers:

9/10

8/10 Like the glass all the way to the top but I think that the spire just isn't right somehow.

Great building I love it 10/10.

8

9/10
Very nice. As formentioned, the top (crown) is similar to Chrysler's (in shape).
:)

Very nice, but I think it would look better if the tower was more slender

8.5/10

I love the top, it is what makes Philadelphia's skyline amazing. Extra point for the night lighting.
http://home.t-online.de/home/highrises/phionelp.gif

I like this Chrysler-copy. 8.5/10

8.5/10 oh wow. i like this:) the mix of the old and the new:cool:

Originally posted by Francis20

a modernized Chrysler?
7.5/10!

Yess and a good looking one 9.5/10! I love this one

10/10

TEN! L1 i love you! ;)

7/10 it looks like a new Chrysler I don't like that but it's ok

9/10

9.5/10


great tower.
It reminds me the Chrysler (NY).

One of my favorites in the country. Check out this thread for some more good shots of it and the Philadelphia skyline:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=71519

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/204172s.jpg

9/10
Great building & crown! Very much like Chrysler's crown.

9.5/10

the superior part this good, the rest is boring 7/10

A few more photos and a bump:
http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/227526s.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/213666s.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/227559s.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/232627s.jpg

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http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/030629Lels.jpg

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is not tall enough~ 8/10

Similar forms to the world famous Chrysler Buiding in N.Y.C..

In context, a 9.5.

8/10

Its great but it gets lost. So I wish it was taller.

i love its retro look, very modern, but yet very fitting for traditional philly.

9.5 (they should paint that spire blue, to make it look more like it's a part of the building)

Good looking....but is it really that tall....or does that spire add another 50 ft?

mY Sister said that this skyscraper is so powerful that even scares...

One of my favourite, ever since I saw that Streets of Philadelphia movie...

11/10

8/10

Definitely awesome 9.5/10....I wish it wus over 1,000 feet, but 945 feet is tall enough

8.5/10

Great! I like the two towers side by side, and the crown is nice. The shape is elegant, the facade is too. Not terribly original or eyecatching, though, but a great pair of buildings in a great city

8/10

too short!! but its a 7.5

Oh yeah it's very cool. I would give it a 10 if it was 10 feet taller. 9/10

I love this, favorite in Philly. 9.5.

a true beauty! seen this one at night! wow! 9

8.5/10

The crown is superb and gives Philadelphia a very distinctive skyline.

Along with Seattle's Bank of America tower, this is one of my favourite American skyscrapers outside New York.

http://www.gophila.com/photos/images/large/020117CD3-GPTMC71.jpg

10/10 its exellent

but with #2...its bombastik 20/10

8/10

10/10

8/10. Chrysler's angular sibling.

9/10

8/10

I like its color

9/10 - Nice building!

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i love this building 9.0

9.5

Gorgeous, great lines and reflective

9/10. 1 Liberty Place looks really sweet in Philly. The child skyscraper of its parent, Chrysler Building has a post-modern art deco design. One point off for falling 55 feet of its 1000 feet tall goal.

Class 9/10

very elegant 8/10

8.5/10, Absolutely stunning, although the top looks a tad botched.

The best building in our state

I've been in the lobby and there's no observation level according to the guy guarding the elevators. 9/10

2 credits for its glassy top & its little brother
fair for its facade

but the entrance ruins it , not classy at all

8/10

Is that a similar type of lighting that the two buildings are using to emphasize their lines?

8. Loses a point because of its oversized mini-me. (Maxi-me?)

This is truely a Houston original...

By which I mean designed after the Bank of the South West Tower in Houston, The proposal won a design competition 1982, but was never built. The "romantic modernist" design was a precursor to other Murphy/Jahn skyscrapers such as Park Avenue Tower (New York), One and Two Liberty Place (Philadelphia), and MesseTurm (Frankfurt).

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8.5/10 - I liked it but there is too many "pencils" in US:(

Nice looking...could be taller though, like the look at night too...

8.5/10

9/10 - love the top.

I love this building. It is nothing short of a masterpiece. Only two other skyscrapers in the world come before this big boy in my personal ranking... that is until Comcast Center is done...:):):)

O yeah, I give it a 10!

:okay: 8.5/10

9/10 i like the artictecture of this building

9/10, I like the design.

Looks sort of similar to Chrysler though. :)

Great spire.
Great facade.
Great design.
Get's a 9.5/10.
:okay:

Simply stunning 10/10

I love the top and how it looks at night. 9.5/10

Let me tell ya, these pictures dont do this building any justice. Its even better in person!

It looks like Chrysler Building covered with glass. And that's cool :D 9/10

Nicely done, but a bit too broad. The antenna is a good example of nicely-integrated communication stuff.
8.

Outstanding, especially at the top! 9/10

More photos (taken by me) and a bump:
http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/050130/25.jpg

http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/041227/32.jpg

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http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/skyscrapercity/phl/041010/pano01.jpg

O man I always love the liberty towers. I love the shape of the top with it glassy and blue. 10/10

Modern design of a classic scraper love it! 9.5/10

8.5, too bad that this unique scraper will get a real look-a-like in urumqi.

One of my most favorite towers!!! I love all the detialing on it! The facade, and the top! Looks great a night too!
10/10!!!!!!!!!

Modern and very gothic-like, if you ask me. 8.5/10.

9/10

except for in the sunset picture I like the red-brown building way more 8/10

Great design and the blue glass in the facade gives an even greater style!
9/10

9.5/10 Another great Murphy/Jahn project.

10/10

8...

9.5/10! :applause:

8.5/10

I like it. I agree with Francis20 that it's like a modern Chrysler. 7.5/10.

Completely vulgar.

8.5/10

8.5/10

Wow, the top is great. Looks giant rather them slim and tall. 9/10

8.5/10

8.0/10.0

8.0

Awesome crown and glass
9.5/10

one of my fav!!
the top is awesome!
9.5

i wish it was taller..

Absolutely love the top!!! 9.0

In my top 5. 9.5/10

10/10. Sensational. The cladding on the facade adds intricate details yet doesn't detract from the sleek glassy appearance. Fantastic form, including the top. A magnificent icon for Philadelphia.

Beautiful. 9/10.

8.5/10

6/10
I think that the glass doesn't fit the shape , I don't like the top part of the building, it's kinda a fake Chrysler.

I love this building. In response to CPN, I think it does imitate Chrysler a little but it sure makes for a awesome building. 9/10

9/10

8,5/10

Love this building. Its one of the best modern buildings in the world. 9.5

love it 10/10

8.5/10

8.5/10

Liberty 1 and 2 are both terrific. Philadelphia should be proud of it's lovely skyline.

New buildings that aren't tacky, behemouths or overwhelming to the skyline. Grace and elegance. Nice colors. 10

Easily one of the best post-modern buildings in the world, but not as good as 2 Prudential Plaza.

9/10

Very good 8/10

10

9/10

9.0 for one of Philly's landmark.

9/10

8/10

just a bit short 7/10 :)

I just like this building. 10/10

This building is of a special breed. Though it's technically post-modern, it isn't, as far as I'm concerned. Why do I say that? Most po-mo takes historical elements out of context and often re-invents them. I say this is what art-deco would look like if it were only thought of today. This is an inspired refinement of art-deco executed with todays building principles.

10/10.

I like this skyscraper. Nice spire, great facade and good night-lighting! 9/10

8/10

7,5/10 postmodernism Chrysler:)

Definately a 10 and better than NYC almost perfect chrylser building and it's pyramids of giza symbols. Liberty Place the symbol for Liberty and a magnificient creation of angles all over the building. A futuristic design with anti icing mechanisms.

8/10.

8.5/10 i like the facade

10/10 one of the best towers in North America. The second best Philly has to offer. Kind of sad that its days as Philly's tallest are numbered. When Comcast towers over it, its going to rob some Liberty Place of some of its shine.

Who is voting this 3 or less?

On the 1st pic it looked awful but the rest were OK.
I still think the top is too kitchy.
7/10

10/10 One of my favorite sc in the world.

awesome building, my favorite Phily skyscraper. i wish that it were a couple of hudred feet taller though.

oh yeah, a 9/10

8/10 I wish it was a little taller

awesome, 10/10, it is one of most beautiful with the Mellon bank center

8.5/10 great building.

One of the best buildings in the world.. Very nice.. 10/10

5.5/10

I have never been a fan of this building. The facade looks cheap and the detailing of it with all of the various criss-crossing stripes seems overwrought. Almost every aspect of the design of this building is a complete cliche; it never manages to look distinct, even for a building of its height and prominance. The proportions are not great either.

7/10.

3/10

8/10

Quite fine 8/10

To look at this building, it is very attractive and well designed... however
I cannot get over the nagging feeling that it is just trying to look like the
Chrysler Building. That was the worst part of the PoMo craze, I think.Had it not been apeing probably the most famous "skyscraper" in the world I would have given it 9....because it is I give it 5.5.

8/10

6/10

5/10

A nice landmark for philly

7/10

Hell yeah this one looks great ,facade,shape ,roof 9/10

There is not many philadelphia's skyscrapers that i don't like. 9/10

the facade and the design is really great: 9.5/10

9.5/10 one of my fav.

7.5/10

reasonably well designed modern glass tower.

10!

8/10

This is a really elegant and stunning building. It's what skyscrapers should be. 10

6.5/10

9/10.. Nice Design!!

definitely a classic
8.5/10

8.5/10

ANOTHER ONE

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/9968/onelibertyplacerx0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

10/10

nice pic firulais 10/10

nice pic firulais 10/10
Thanx!

10/10

7.5/10

9.5/10

Good enough for me.

8.5/10

10/10

Another month, and Comcast Center will take over it's rein as PA's tallest, it already surpassed it's sister building a few weeks back.

9.5/10
a beauty

7.0/10

8.5 /10

7,5/10

very clean and crisp...8

It's a 10! One of my favorites. Reminds me of the Prud in Chicago (which I like even more than Liberty)...

9 / 10

7.5

8.5 / 10

perhaps a modern counterpart of chrysler building. 10!

8 - tries just a bit too hard :)

10/10...amazing! too bad there has been a lot of copies of this building

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/412934900_6b242490db.jpg?v=0

Reeeally, really classy building. really makes the city stand out as a skyline, and would look good in almost any city. 9/10

8/10. Would have given it a 9 if it was taller.
Love the top and night shot looks great.

10/10. My favorite tower on the East Coast.

7/10

landmark of Philly, 10/10

8,5/10

9.5/10

finally..something nice...i'm going to give this a 9/10-very harmonized i like it:)-however i don't like the colors when it's illuminated..that pink with blue i hope it's not always like that

9 - wonderfull.

I like this very elegant tower. 9.5/10

great design 9/10

8/10

6.5/10

8/10 the top of the tower is great

9/10

9.5/10

a 7..

Nice one. 8.5/10

9,5/10

8.5/10

7/10

Nice structure and fine cladding. 8.5/10

Seeing it in real life has reall changed my opinion. 8/10

4/10

Interesting design!

8.5/10

Great. 9.5.

I like it a bit more than the younger broder...

8.5

this'll get 8.5 from me