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West 8 urban design & landscape architecture b.v.

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West 8 urban design & landscape architecture p.c.

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Placemaking as a Catalyst

Drexel Square, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Open space as a launchpad for development and gateway for Philadelphia’s University City Innovation District Masterplan, Schuylkill Yards.

Biodiversity at the ground plane
In Drexel Square the concept of a 'Green Square' takes form in the shape of an oblique disk. Paths crossing the disk signify the square's importance as a crossroads both for Drexel University and for people entering the city from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.

 

Inspired by William Penn’s historic vision of Philadelphia’s Parks as a “Public Room”: a respite for people to gather, rest, and be renewed by the natural world.

 

1 — 3 The Bulletin Building's facade was renovated to create a clear sense of place when entering the square.
2 — 3 Large planters double as places to sit in the shade and create a space for students and visitors to rest.
3 — 3 A variety of plantings create biodiversity and provide visual interest.
1 — 4
2 — 4
3 — 4
4 — 4
Twenty-three, shade-providing, soaring metasequoias—planted at more than 40 feet tall into monolithic carved stone planters create a buffer between the street and the park —framing the square and creating a feeling of enclosure.
1 — 3
2 — 3
3 — 3

Client
Brandywine Realty Trust
Drexel University

Team
SHoP Architects – Architect of Record
West 8 – Landscape Architect

WSP / Parsons Brinckerhoff – Civil Engineering
Pennoni – Survey and Structural Assessment
O’Donnel & Naccarto – Structural Engineer
Concord Engineering – M.E.P.
Cline Bettridge & Bernstein – Lighting Design
Simpson Gumpertz & Herger – Waterproofing
Bala Consulting – AV/IT/Security
Hunter Roberts Construction Group – Construction

Imagery
© West 8 and © Brandywine Realty Trust

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