1500 Walnut

This 21-story tower doubled the rentable floor area of an office high-rise designed by Ritter & Shay for Drexel Company in 1928. The steel framed addition, with its granite base and dark bronze, anodized aluminum and glass curtain wall, acknowledges its close relationship to its older companion, while maintaining its own integrity of expression. A five level parking garage of reinforced concrete connects directly to the new office tower, providing much-needed parking and off-street loading, and ensures unobstructed views from the office windows on the upper floors. The project included a general refurbishing of the older building’s brick and limestone facade, major interior renovation of office floors, lobbies, and mechanical system, and restoration of the period banking room which currently houses offices of a major stock-brokerage firm.