Editing WHYY Building (section)

== Independence Mall Context ==

Independence Mall, the three-block park extending north from Independence Hall, provides setting for the WHYY Building and other structures that line its edges. The mall's development during the mid-twentieth century cleared blocks of commercial buildings to create open space around Independence Hall, transforming the historic building's context from dense commercial neighborhood to civic park. Buildings along the mall's edges—including the National Constitution Center, the Independence Visitor Center, and WHYY—must respond to this unique context where contemporary structures share space with eighteenth-century landmarks.<ref name="hine"/>

The WHYY Building occupies a site that previous development had claimed, replacing earlier structures with architecture more sympathetic to the mall's character. The building's success demonstrates that Independence Mall's edges can accommodate contemporary construction when design respects the historic context. The mall continues to evolve as sites are developed and redeveloped, with each project confronting similar questions about how contemporary architecture should relate to irreplaceable historic resources. WHYY provides one model for addressing these challenges.<ref name="gallery"/>