Cira Centre

The Cira Centre is a 29-story, 437-foot (133 m) office high-rise in the University City district of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Developed by Brandywine Realty Trust and designed by César Pelli, the Cira Centre sits across the street from Amtrak's 30th Street Station. The skyscraper was built on a platform over rail tracks in an area that had seen numerous development plans that had never produced anything. Brandywine Realty Trust announced its plans for the skyscraper in May 2002 with construction beginning in 2004. Construction of the skyscraper was controversial because of its location in a Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone (KOZ). A KOZ is designed to encourage development in poor and blighted areas by exempting the tenants of the building from almost all state and local taxes. The Cira Centre was accused of cannibalizing Philadelphia's other office skyscrapers, by attracting businesses already in the city such as Dechert LLP. However, not all tenants came from within Philadelphia. One of these tenants included Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA) which moved to the city and made the Cira Centre its North American headquarters. The Cira Centre was completed in 2005.

Containing 731,852 square feet (68,000 m2), the Cira Centre is a silver glass curtain wall skyscraper. Designed to be seen from all sides, the removal of the building's northwest and southeast corners gives the skyscraper a different shape when viewing it from different locations. The building amenities include retail and restaurant space, a conference room, a 9-story parking garage and a pedestrian bridge that links the Cira Centre's lobby with 30th Street Station. The building features lighting designed by Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design. Creating a wall of LEDs on most of the Cira Centre's facade, the LEDs are able to change color to create different patterns and effects.