Exploring Philly often feels like time traveling; a class of architecture history can easily be thought by walking around center city, some of the architecture styles I have identified so far are Beaux-Arts, Georgian, Second Empire, Victorian, Art deco and International.
It sounds like I am a walking architecture history book but I am not, Google is a great resource. Having said that my experience with Philly´s architecture goes like this:
ACT 1: HOW DID THEY GET THAT COLOR?
On a regular spring workday, while switching between architectural and administrative tasks there I was, walking down Chestnut Street. I turned to the west on 4th and before reaching Market Street there it was.
For sure I didn’t know anything about it but I found it eye catching. The first thing I remembered thinking was how did they get that color? But pruned to get back to the office I left it behind, ever since the reddish color hunted me.
Another day I came across the same building, this time I had enough time to analyze it a little bit better, and for sure it was a Historic building. Buildings like that would not even be from the past century, the scales, color, materials, and features for sure were not from this era. Philadelphia´s Bourse building was built around 1895, first it was a commodities exchange place, the first of its kind in the world. With its Beaux-Arts style it stands out for the Redstone, Pompeian buff brick and terracotta façade.
ACT 2: WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING
While enjoying summer and the 4th of July parade at City Hall I lifted my eyes, the only phrase I could article to describe what I was experiencing was “What a beautiful building!” For sure I have not seen anything like it, the forms, rhythm, and colors of the façade elements where well put together. This was the market street national bank, although built in 1913 its beauty did not fade. This Art deco building adds color and character to center city.
ACT 3: ITS NAME MAKE SENSE
If you visit Philly for sure you will know what I am talking about, city hall has a tremendous central patio with open views throughout the city main streets (Market and Broad Street) This Second empire style building built between 1871 and 1908 is the world´s largest free-standing masonry building.
I hope that by now your architecture history lessons might come to life, walking around a city like Philly will always leave you with a great building discovery experience…. For now, I will continue traveling between times, see you in verse 5.
Greg
