“The Philadelphia Center faculty and staff provided me with the steady support I needed to function in a drastically new environment, while simultaneously pushing me to see the world through a wider lens. The confidence I gained through my experiences in Philadelphia allowed me to overcome my fear of the unknown—opening wide the doors of the world.”
Abigail Stonerook, Kalamazoo College
Fall 2004
Women Organized Against Rape, Crisis Intervention Intern
Architecture
The city’s architecture is another reason to spend a semester in Philadelphia.
Overview - The city’s unique blend of historical and contemporary styles makes Philadelphia an exciting destination for students who have little or no knowledge about architecture to those with a more advanced understanding of architecture. The architecture of Philadelphia combines historic and modern styles that reflect the city’s rich and dynamic history. The log buildings of the first European settlements in the 17th century gave way to 18th century brick structures. In the first half of the 19th century Greek revival appeared and flourished with architects such as William Strickland, John Haviland, and Thomas U. Walter. In the second half of the 19th century Victorian architecture became popular with the city’s most notable Victorian architect being Frank Furness. Steel and concrete skyscrapers appeared in the first decades of the 20th century and glass and granite skyscrapers towards the end of the century. Philadelphia has made significant contributions to U.S. architecture: 1)it introduced the row house in the 17th century; 2)it built the United States’ first International style skyscraper and 3)it contains one of the most important examples of Postmodern architecture, Robert Venturi’s Guild House.
Listed below are links, pictures and resources related to Philadelphia’s diverse architecture.
Links and Resources:
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Philadelphia - Founded in 1869, AIA Philadelphia is among the oldest and most distinguished of AIA Chapters and organizes architects in the region for the purpose of advancing their influence in shaping the built environment, and their ability to effectively practice architecture in an ever-changing society and competitive marketplace.
The Center for Architecture - performs the charitable and educational work of AIA Philadelphia and serves as the physical home for the Chapter in Center City Philadelphia.
The Athenaeum a member supported, not-for-profit, special collections library founded in 1814 to collect materials “connected with the history and antiquities of America, and the useful arts, and generally to disseminate useful knowledge” for public
Community Design Collaborative - a community design center that provides pro bono pre-development design services to nonprofit organizations, offers unique volunteer opportunities for design professionals, and raises awareness about the importance of design in community revitalization.
Design Advocacy Group - an independent and informed public voice for design quality in the architecture and physical planning of the Philadelphia region.
Examples of Philadelphia Architecture
The Philadelphia Museum of Art - Just a short walk from The Philadelphia Center is one of the finest examples of architecture that also is home to one of the world’s finest art museums. Echoing the design of a Greek temple but of more massive Roman proportions, the Philadelphia Museum of Art building is considered one of the crowning achievements of the “city beautiful” movement in architecture in the early part of the twentieth century. It is constructed of pure Minnesota dolomite, with glazed blue roof tiles embellished with polychrome finials and pediments. Covering ten acres of ground, it contains over 200 galleries. Of special interest on the exterior of the building is the group of polychrome terracotta sculptures in the tympanum of the pediment on the North Wing, which was designed by sculptor C. Paul Jennewein and installed in 1933. This marked the Museum as the first major building in over 2,000 years to adapt polychromy in this manner. In ancient Greek architecture, however, the architectural ornament and sculpture in terracotta and stone were painted with perishable pigments, while those of the Museum are of ceramic glazes. The completed tympanum encompasses ten free-standing figures, mythological Greek gods and goddesses signifying sacred and profane love. Executed in brilliant colors and gold glazes, the tympanum is seventy-feet wide at its base above the supporting columns, rising to twelve feet in height at the center. It is an outstanding example of ceramic art in color.