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List of tallest buildings in Philadelphia facts for kids

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A610, Philadelphia skyline from Boathouse Row, 2019
The Philadelphia skyline as seen from Boathouse Row in June 2019 (annotated version)
Philadelphia from the Delaware River
The Philadelphia skyline as seen from the Delaware River in February 2023

Philadelphia, the largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, is home to more than 300 completed high-rise buildings up to 330 feet (101 m), and 58 completed skyscrapers of 330 feet (101 m) or taller, of which 34 are 400 feet (122 m) or taller and are listed below.

As of 2018, the tallest building in the city is the 60-story Comcast Technology Center, which topped out at 1,150 feet (351 m) in Center City on November 27, 2017, and was opened in 2018.

Comcast Technology Center is the tallest building in the United States outside New York City and Chicago, and is ranked as the 14th-tallest building in the United States, and as the 96th-tallest in the world. The second-tallest building in Philadelphia is the 58-story Comcast Center at 974 feet (297 m), while the third-tallest building is One Liberty Place, which rises 61 floors and 945 feet (288 m). One Liberty Place stood as the tallest building in Pennsylvania for over 20 years until the completion of Comcast Center in 2008. Seven of the ten tallest buildings in Pennsylvania are in Philadelphia; the remainder are in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia is one of only five American cities with two or more completed buildings over 900 feet (274 m) tall; the others are New York City, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles.

Philadelphia's history of tall buildings is generally thought to have begun with the 1754 addition of the steeple to Christ Church, which was one of America's first high-rise structures. Through most of the 20th century, a "gentlemen's agreement" and economic restraints prevented buildings from rising higher than the 548-ft (167-m) Philadelphia City Hall. Despite this, Philadelphia amassed a large collection of high-rise buildings. The completion of One Liberty Place in 1987 broke the agreement, and Philadelphia has since seen the construction of eleven skyscrapers that eclipse City Hall in height.

Philadelphia has twice held the tallest habitable building in North America, first with Christ Church, then with City Hall. The latter reigned as the world's tallest building from 1894 to 1908, and is currently the world's second-tallest masonry building, only 1.6 feet (0.49 m) shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin. Like other large American cities, Philadelphia experienced a massive building boom in the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in the completion of 20 skyscrapers of 330 feet (101 m) or taller.

Tallest buildings

Philadelphia skyscrapers
Comparison of Philadelphia's seven tallest skyscrapers

This list ranks completed and topped out skyscrapers in Center City Philadelphia that stand at least 400 feet (122 m) tall, based on standard height measurement, including spires and architectural details but excluding antenna masts. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed. The only demolished building that would have ranked on this list was the 492-foot (150 m) One Meridian Plaza, razed in 1999.      Was Pennsylvania's tallest building upon completion      Was world's tallest building upon completion

Rank Name Image Height
ft (m)
Floors Year Address Notes
1 Comcast Technology Center View of Center City (Comcast Technology Center).jpg 1,121 (342) 60 2018 1800 Arch Street Construction broke ground July 2014; topped out on November 27, 2017; currently the tallest building in Pennsylvania, and the tallest building in the United States outside Manhattan and Chicago, the 14th-tallest building in the United States; opened to staff in July 2018 and the public in October 2018; tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 2010s
2 Comcast Center 974 (297) 58 2008 1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd 2nd-tallest building in Pennsylvania, 31st-tallest building in the country; tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 2000s
3 One Liberty Place 945 (288) 61 1987 1650 Market Street Philadelphia's first skyscraper taller than City Hall. Third-tallest building in the state; 28th-tallest building in the country; tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 1980s
4 Two Liberty Place Two liberty place.JPG 848 (258) 58 1990 1601 Chestnut Street 48th-tallest building in the country; tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 1990s
5 BNY Mellon Center 792 (241) 54 1990 1735 Market Street 63rd-tallest building in the country, also known as Nine Penn Center
6 Three Logan Square 739 (225) 55 1991 1717 Arch Street 112th-tallest building in the country, formerly known as Bell Atlantic Tower and Verizon Tower
7 FMC Tower at Cira Centre South 736 (224) 49 2016 2929 Walnut Street 121st-tallest building in the country, the tallest building in Philadelphia outside Center City
8 G. Fred DiBona Jr. Building 625 (191) 45 1990 1901 Market Street Formerly known as the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower and the IBX Tower
9 The W Philadelphia and Element Philadelphia 617 (188) 51 2020 1441 Chestnut Street tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 2020s
10 The Laurel and 1909 Rittenhouse The Laurel Rittenhouse.jpg 604 (184) 50 2022 1909-11 Walnut Street Tallest residential building in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
11= One Commerce Square 565 (172) 41 1987 2005 W. Market Street One and Two Commerce Square are currently the tallest twin buildings in Philadelphia and sixth-tallest twin buildings in the United States.
11= Two Commerce Square 565 (172) 41 1992 2001 W. Market Street One and Two Commerce Square are currently the tallest twin buildings in Philadelphia and 6th-tallest twin buildings in the United States.
13 Philadelphia City Hall 548 (167) 9 1901 1 Penn Square 1901 is the official year of completion and the transfer of ownership to the city government; however, the tower had been topped out in 1894 and the building had been partially occupied by then, making it the tallest habitable building in the United States and the world from 1894 until the completion of the Singer Building in 1908;tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 1900s.
14 Arthaus 528 (161) 47 2022 301 S. Broad Street
15 The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton 518 (158) 48 2009 1414 South Penn Square
16 1818 Market Street 500 (152) 40 1974 1818 Market Street Tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 1970s
17 The St. James 498 (152) 45 2004 200 West Washington Square Tallest building located east of Broad Street When constructed in 2003, the St. James was the tallest apartment building in Philadelphia.
18 Loews Philadelphia Hotel 492 (150) 36 1932 1200 Market Street Formerly known as the PSFS Building; tallest hotel in the city until the Four Seasons opened in the Comcast Technology Center, tallest building in Philadelphia completed in the 1930s, 2nd-tallest in Philadelphia at the time of completion, the building reaches a height of 750 feet (229 m) with its antenna, total building area is 631,006 square feet (58,622.4 m2);
19 PNC Bank Building 491 (150) 40 1983 1600 Market Street
20= Centre Square II 490 (149) 40 1973 Market and 15th streets
20= Five Penn Center 490 (149) 36 1970 1601 Market Street
22 Murano 475 (145) 43 2008 2101 Market Street
23 One South Broad 472 (144) 28 1932 1 S. Broad Street Formerly known as the Lincoln-Liberty Building and the PNB (Philadelphia National Bank) Building
24= 2000 Market Street 435 (133) 29 1973 2000 Market Street
24= Two Logan Square 435 (133) 35 1987 100 N. 18th Street
26 Cira Centre 434 (132) 28 2005 30th and Arch streets
27= 1700 Market 430 (131) 32 1968 1700 Market Street Tallest building completed in the 1960s
27= Evo at Cira Centre South 430 (131) 33 2014 2930 Chestnut Street
29 1835 Market Street 425 (130) 29 1986 1835 Market Street Name was changed from Eleven Penn Center in 2003
30 Centre Square I 417 (127) 32 1973 Market and 15th streets
31 Jefferson Tower 412 (126) 32 1984 1101 Market Street Formerly known as One Reading Center and the Aramark Tower.
32 Wells Fargo Building 405 (123) 29 1927 123 S. Broad Street tallest building completed in Philadelphia in the 1920s
33 1706 Rittenhouse 401 (122) 33 2010 1706 Rittenhouse Square
34 One Logan Square 400 (122) 31 1983 130 N. 18th Street

Tallest under construction, approved, and proposed

Buildings of at least 400 feet (122 m) tall that are under construction, approved, or proposed.

Under Construction

Name Height

ft (m)

Floors Year

(est.)

Notes
The Mark 414 (126) 34 Marketed as student housing in University City.

Approved

Name Height
ft (m)
Floors Year
(est.)
Notes
Harper Square 620 (189) 52 If built, it will become the tallest residential building in Philadelphia.
1826 Chestnut Street 550 (168) 42

Proposed

Name Height

ft (m)

Floors Notes
Transit Terminal Tower 1,200 (366) 85 Would be the tallest in Pennsylvania if built.
3101 Market 1,095 (334) 70 Would be the second tallest in the city if built. Part of the Schuylkill Yards development.
3001 JFK Boulevard 512 (156) 34 Part of the Schuylkill Yards development.
Two Cathedral Square 470 (143) 34 Part of the Cathedral Square development.
1301 Market Street 460 (140) 32
Mellon Independence Center Tower 429 (131) 30 Also called the MIC Tower.
The Arbour House 414 (126) 35 Also known as 708 Sansom Street.

Timeline of tallest buildings

Skyscrapers of Philadelphia, 1898
An 1898 poster of skyscrapers in Philadelphia

Philadelphia has seen few city record-holders compared to other cities with comparable skylines. Although churches, cathedrals, and the like are not technically considered to be skyscrapers, Christ Church, after being surmounted with its lofty spire in 1754, stood as its tallest building for 102 years before being surpassed by the (no longer extant) spire of Tenth Presbyterian Church, which was surpassed by City Hall in 1894. Then, due to the "gentlemen's agreement" not to build higher than the top of the statue of William Penn atop City Hall, that building stood as the city's tallest structure for 93 years; it also held the world record for tallest habitable building from 1894 until the 1908 completion of the Singer Building in New York City.

Name Image Street address Years as tallest Height
ft (m)
Floors Architect Reference
Independence Hall 520 Chestnut Street 1748–1754 134 (41) 2 Edmund Woolley and Andrew Hamilton
Christ Church 20 North American Street 1754–1856 196 (60) Robert Smith
Tenth Presbyterian Church 17th & Spruce Streets 1856–1894 250 (76) John McArthur Jr.
Philadelphia City Hall Broad & Market Streets 1894–1987 548 (167) 9 John McArthur Jr.
One Liberty Place 1650 Market Street 1987–2008 945 (288) 61 Helmut Jahn
Comcast Center 1701 John F. Kennedy Boulevard 2008–2017 974 (297) 57 Robert A. M. Stern Architects
Comcast Technology Center 1800 Arch Street 2017–present 1,121 (342) 60 Norman Foster

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Edificios más altos de Filadelfia para niños

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List of tallest buildings in Philadelphia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.