BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building vs One Vanderbilt

BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building
One Vanderbilt

Comparing the BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building and the One Vanderbilt is compelling because they were both designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, yet they stand in different cities (Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

Height
241m
Floors
54

Height & Size

Height
427m
Floors
67

The One Vanderbilt is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1401ft (427m) with 67 floors above ground, while the BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building reaches 791ft (241m) with 54 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Style
Postmodernism

Architectural Style

Style
Contemporary

The BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the One Vanderbilt reflects the principles of Contemporary.

At the time of their completion, both styles were well established. This makes the comparison especially interesting, because both buildings represent a dominant aesthetic at a particular point in time.

Built 30 years apart (1990 vs 2020), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Commercial

Both the BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building and the One Vanderbilt were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building also provides 160 parking spaces.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Trussed Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building uses a Frame structural system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the One Vanderbilt uses a Trussed Frame system, that uses diagonal bracing in addition to beams and columns for stability.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.

BNY Mellon Center Philadelphia Building One Vanderbilt
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates Architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
1986 Design Started 2013
1987 Design Ended 2016
1988 Construction Started 2017
1990 Year Completed 2020
Postmodernism Architectural Style Contemporary
Commercial Current Use Commercial
54 Floors Above Ground 67
2 Floors Below Ground 4
241 m Height (m) 427 m
251 Tip Height 427
137,071 m² Usable Area (m²) 162,600 m²
Frame Structure Type Trussed Frame
Steel And Concrete Vertical Structure Material Steel
Steel And Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Poured Concrete Over Metal Decking
No Facade Structural? No
Stone, Glass, Aluminum Main Facade Material Aluminium, Glass, Terracotta
Turner Construction Main Contractor AECOM Tishman Construction
WSP Cantor Seinuk Structural Engineer Severud Associates Consulting Engineers
PA State NY
Philadelphia City New York
1735 Market Street Address 1 Vanderbilt Avenue