YMCA Philadelphia vs Naval Hospital Philadelphia

Comparing the YMCA Philadelphia and the Naval Hospital Philadelphia is interesting because they both rise in Philadelphia, PA, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Louis El Jallade and Karcher and Smith, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 7 years apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Philadelphia across time.

Let's take a closer look!

Both the YMCA Philadelphia and the Naval Hospital Philadelphia were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Louis El Jallade and Karcher and Smith followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

The YMCA Philadelphia is primarily residential, while the Naval Hospital Philadelphia is primarily medical.

The YMCA Philadelphia offers 120 residential units.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.