The owner desired a high-profile tourist hotel with sensitively scaled shops, restaurants, and residences that would contribute to the established pedestrian friendly neighborhood of Old City. The existing bulky three story concrete warehouse building afforded open space and high ceilings. This imparts an open lofty feeling to the restaurant and retail spaces on the ground level and to the loft residences on the third floor. The architects oriented the new hotel tower in an East-West direction to take advantage of the panoramic views to Independence Hall and the Center City skyline. This orientation also created an elegant bookend to Independence Mall. Placing the tall, narrow tower on the North side of the building also afforded the hotel operator generous sun filled rooftop common spaces for a restaurant, bar, and pool without obstructing any views of the residential units to the East of the site. Adjacent to the bridge, the tower acts as a gateway into Philadelphia from New Jersey providing the high visibility the hotel operator required and preserving the low rooflines of the neighborhood to the South.
