Architecture Spotlight: Philadelphia (City Hall)
Aloha! Hope you are well. For this post we’re heading over to Philadelphia to check out City Hall; a building that between 1894 and 1908 was regarded by many as the tallest building in the world. Let’s get to it.
History
As always, we’ll start off with a little history on the site. William Penn was a Quaker settler from England that was “given” the stretch of land that is now known as Pennsylvania by Charles II in 1681. As William Penn and his advisers mapped out the city of Philadelphia, they decreed that certain areas be used for government/public buildings. 200 years later, in 1871, City Hall’s construction began, the blueprint for its appearance drafted by John MacArthur Jr. (John MacArthur died 10 years before City Hall was fully completed).
Design & Structure
City Hall is home to Philadelphia’s government and political system. It has 700 rooms, making it the largest municipal building in the United States. The buildings square design surrounds an interior courtyard, and it is topped by a 37ft, 27 ton bronze statue of William Penn. Check out the below aerial shots of the building:
The bronze statue, and much of the buildings exterior and interior sculptures were designed by Alexander Calder. The Supreme Court Room and the Judges’ Consultation Room were both decorated by George Herzog. Check out the below pics that showcase some interior spaces and sculptures from the site:
The buildings tower also features large clocks on all four sides and an observation deck right below the base of the statue. The building was designed with the Second Emperor architectural style that was popular in France during Napoleon’s rule, and quickly spread across the Atlantic to the US.
Philly’s City Hall can be found at 1 Penn Square, dead smack at the center of Philly’s downtown scene. It’s not far from the Reading Terminal market where you can grab some great food, so if you ever visit Philly I recommend you check out City Hall and the surrounding area. I’ll leave you with the below pic of me standing by City Hall. Cheers!
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