Art Deco Philadelphia
Art Deco architecture in Philadelphia represents an important chapter in the city's built environment, with significant buildings from the style's peak in the 1920s and 1930s surviving throughout Center City and surrounding neighborhoods. Philadelphia's Art Deco buildings include skyscrapers, theaters, banks, and commercial structures that brought modernist aesthetics to a city known for traditional architecture. The style's emphasis on vertical lines, geometric ornament, and modern materials created landmarks that remain distinctive nearly a century later.[1]
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]Art Deco buildings in Philadelphia share features of the international style while adapting to local conditions:
- Verticality — Tall buildings emphasize height through continuous vertical lines
- Geometric ornament — Stylized flora, sunbursts, chevrons, and abstract patterns
- Modern materials — Aluminum, stainless steel, terracotta, and glass
- Setback massing — Stepped profiles responding to zoning requirements
- Colored materials — Terra cotta, mosaic, and polychrome decoration
Philadelphia's Art Deco buildings often incorporated local production, including terra cotta from regional manufacturers and ornamental metalwork from Philadelphia foundries.[1]
Major Buildings
[edit | edit source]PSFS Building
[edit | edit source]The Philadelphia Saving Fund Society (PSFS) Building, completed in 1932 at 12 South 12th Street, is considered America's first International Style skyscraper and Philadelphia's most significant Art Deco/modernist building. Designed by George Howe and William Lescaze, the building's horizontal bands of windows, curved corner, and rooftop PSFS sign (still illuminated) make it an architectural landmark. The building is now a Loews Hotel, with public areas accessible to visitors.[1]
30th Street Station
[edit | edit source]30th Street Station, completed in 1933, combines neoclassical exterior with Art Deco interior details. The main waiting room's monumental columns, coffered ceiling, and detailed light fixtures create a grand space that combines classical proportions with contemporary decoration. The building serves as Amtrak's third-busiest station while functioning as a preserved Art Deco landmark.[1]
Suburban Station
[edit | edit source]Suburban Station, also completed in 1930s, provides another transportation-related Art Deco example. The station's facade, interior details, and signage reflect the style's application to transit infrastructure.[1]
N.W. Ayer Building
[edit | edit source]The N.W. Ayer Building at Washington Square exemplifies commercial Art Deco with its sleek facade, vertical emphasis, and rooftop details. The advertising agency headquarters now serves other purposes while retaining its architectural distinction.[1]
Market East Complex
[edit | edit source]The Gallery (now Fashion District) complex includes Art Deco buildings along Market Street East that have been incorporated into retail development. While interiors have been modified, facades preserve the era's commercial architecture.[1]
Theaters
[edit | edit source]Philadelphia's Art Deco theaters provided elaborate entertainment palaces:
- Boyd Theatre — The finest Art Deco theater interior, now demolished (2015) despite preservation efforts
- Uptown Theater — North Philadelphia's grand movie palace, now vacant
- Trocadero Theatre — Partially preserved Art Deco and Victorian interior
The loss of these theaters represents significant erosion of Philadelphia's Art Deco heritage, with only fragments remaining of once-spectacular interiors.[1]
Preservation
[edit | edit source]Art Deco buildings face preservation challenges as property owners seek to modernize or redevelop. The PSFS Building's successful adaptive reuse as a hotel demonstrates possibilities, while the Boyd Theatre's demolition shows risks. Recognition of Art Deco significance has increased, though protection remains inconsistent.[1]