Philadelphia-based cable company Comcast, currently headquartered in the Comcast Tower - the city's tallest skyscraper - is about build a new glass and steel giant for Pennsylvania's largest urban center. Planned for 1800 Arch Street, just a few blocks away from the Comcast Center, the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center will rise at 342 meters above street level. It will be the state's tallest building, as well as the tallest in North America outside of Manhattan and Chicago.

The Comcast Innovation and Technology Center will be Pennsylvania's Tallest Skyscraper, image courtesy of Foster + Partners

Developed by Comcast Corporation and Liberty Property Trust, the $1.6 billion project will consist of 59 floors. The first 45 will be used as office spaces, and the remaining 14 top floors will be occupied by a 222-room Four Seasons Hotel. At the base of the building, a block-long glass atrium will provide a direct connection to the nearby SEPTA’s Regional Rail Station. This indoor plaza is considered by architects Foster + Partners as a "window on Philadelphia". While a retail mall will add some vitality to the lower levels, the top floor of the tower will consist of a restaurant featuring dramatic views of the city and its surroundings. Rumour has it that during clear weather, one will be able see as far as 130 kilometers away.

The lobby will be "a window on Philadelphia", according to the architects, image courtesy of Foster + Partners

The Art-Deco-inspired stepped design of the building and top antenna will help limit the shadow impacts over the business district around it. From the outside, the passerby will be able to see the tower's steel structure on each side. Indeed, the building will eventually consist of a steel structure supported by a concrete core, for a total surface area of 140,000 square-meters. A blue-glass envelop will eventually seal it off and help the edifice achieve a LEED Platinum certification, while flooding with light the Gensler-designed interiors.

The top floor restaurant will offer dramatic view, image courtesy of Foster + Partners

Although Comcast announced earlier this year that it will take up almost the entirety of the office component of the tower, three television studios are planned to move in as well. Currently under construction, the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center's is scheduled for completion in late 2017 or early 2018. 
In the meantime, additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase page for the project, linked below. You can also get involved in the discussion by visiting our Forum thread for the project, or by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page.
Related Companies:  Gensler