One Liberty Place

Type	Skyscraper, landmark
Address	1650 Market Street
Map	View on Google Maps
Neighborhood	Center City
Established	1987
Founder	Rouse & Associates
Owner	Brookfield Properties
Hours	Lobby: business hours; observation deck closed
Products	Office space
Status	Active

One Liberty Place is a 61-story skyscraper located at 1650 Market Street in Center City, rising 945 feet (288 meters) and serving as the tallest building in Pennsylvania from its completion in 1987 until 2007. The building is famous for breaking the "gentlemen's agreement" that had limited Philadelphia buildings to the height of the William Penn statue atop Philadelphia City Hall—a tradition that had stood for 86 years. This transgression allegedly triggered the "Curse of Billy Penn," which supposedly plagued Philadelphia's sports teams until 2008.^[1]

Designed by architect Helmut Jahn in the postmodern style, One Liberty Place features a distinctive blue glass and steel curtain wall topped by a dramatic angular spire. The building, along with its companion Two Liberty Place (completed 1990), transformed Philadelphia's skyline and launched a skyscraper boom that continues today. One Liberty Place remains one of the most recognizable buildings in the Philadelphia skyline.^[2]

History

The Gentlemen's Agreement

For 86 years, from 1901 to 1987, an unwritten "gentlemen's agreement" among Philadelphia developers ensured that no building would rise higher than the brim of William Penn's hat atop Philadelphia City Hall—a height of 548 feet. While never legally mandated, the tradition was widely respected, keeping City Hall as the dominant feature of the Philadelphia skyline.

Breaking the Height Limit

Developer Willard Rouse and his company Rouse & Associates announced plans in 1984 to build a skyscraper that would exceed the traditional height limit. Despite opposition from preservationists and traditionalists, the project moved forward.

One Liberty Place opened in December 1987, rising 945 feet—nearly 400 feet taller than City Hall. The building instantly became Philadelphia's tallest and sparked a fundamental change in how the city viewed its skyline.

The Curse of Billy Penn

Shortly after One Liberty Place opened, Philadelphia sports fans began noting an unusual drought:

No championships: Between 1983 (76ers) and 2008 (Phillies), no Philadelphia major sports team won a championship
The curse: Fans attributed the drought to the violation of the gentlemen's agreement, calling it the "Curse of Billy Penn"

When the Comcast Center was constructed in 2007-2008, a small statue of William Penn was affixed to its top beam, "restoring" Penn to the highest point in the city. The Phillies won the World Series that fall, and many fans declared the curse broken.

Two Liberty Place

A companion tower, Two Liberty Place (848 feet, 58 stories), was completed in 1990. The two towers share a complex base with retail and dining options.

Architecture

Postmodern Design

One Liberty Place was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn in the postmodern style:

Exterior

Height: 945 feet (288 meters) to roof; 1,050 feet with spire
Floors: 61
Material: Blue glass and steel curtain wall
Crown: Distinctive angular spire inspired by the Chrysler Building
Style: Postmodern, with Art Deco and modernist elements

Features

Setbacks create visual interest and reference older skyscraper designs
Blue-tinted glass gives the building its distinctive appearance
Steel crown and spire are dramatically lit at night

Influence

One Liberty Place's success launched a Philadelphia skyscraper boom:

Two Liberty Place (1990)
Mellon Bank Center (1990)
Comcast Center (2008)
Comcast Technology Center (2018)

The Complex

The Liberty Place complex includes: