Editing WHYY Building (section)

== Design ==

MGA Partners designed the WHYY Building to address the challenge of placing a contemporary structure adjacent to Independence National Historical Park, where colonial-era buildings establish context that new construction must respect. The architects chose materials and forms that acknowledge their surroundings without imitating historic styles—red brick that relates to neighborhood buildings, proportions that defer to adjacent structures, and restrained detailing that avoids competing with historic landmarks. The result demonstrates that contemporary architecture can achieve contextual sensitivity through abstraction rather than replication.<ref name="hine">{{cite book |last=Hine |first=Thomas |title=A Guide to Contemporary Architecture in Philadelphia |year=2009 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

The building's massing breaks into distinct volumes that reduce its apparent scale and create varied facades along different streets. Large windows provide views into production spaces, making broadcasting activities visible to pedestrians and connecting the station's work to the public it serves. The building turns its most prominent facade toward Independence Mall, acknowledging the civic significance of this location while providing appropriate backdrop for the park's historic structures. Interior spaces accommodate the technical requirements of broadcasting while achieving architectural quality appropriate to a public institution.<ref name="gallery"/>