Editing Postmodern Architecture (section)

== One Liberty Place ==

One Liberty Place (1987), designed by Helmut Jahn, transformed Philadelphia's skyline while challenging the informal "gentlemen's agreement" that had limited building heights to below William Penn's hat atop City Hall. The tower's 61 stories rose dramatically above previous limits, its Art Deco-influenced silhouette providing distinctive profile against the sky. The building's historical references—setbacks evoking 1920s skyscrapers, a spire that recalls Chrysler Building—mark it as postmodern despite its scale and commercial function.<ref name="jencks"/>

The building's construction provoked controversy over both height and design. Traditionalists decried violation of the Penn agreement; modernists criticized the historical pastiche; preservationists worried about precedent for further intrusions. Yet One Liberty Place's commercial success and dramatic presence established new parameters for Philadelphia development. Two Liberty Place (1990) followed, its similar design creating a paired composition that defines Center City's western skyline. Whatever reservations critics expressed, the Liberty Place towers demonstrated that postmodern commercial architecture could succeed in Philadelphia's market.<ref name="venturi"/>