Architecture
Located on West Market Street in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Commerce Square comprises twin 41-story 565 feet (172 m) office towers designed by Henry N. Cobb and Douglas Gardner of IM Pei & Partners. Commerce Square covers an entire block, between 20th and 21st Streets and Market Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Commerce Square contains 2,200,000 square feet (200,000 m2), which includes 1,850,000 square feet (170,000 m2) of office space, 92,000 square feet (8,500 m2) lobby, and a 175,000 square feet (16,000 m2), 625 car parking garage. The pale-gray granite-clad skyscrapers feature setbacks on the north and south sides of the building, with the bottom floors containing 33,000 square feet (3,100 m2) and the upper floors 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2). The floors feature a large amount of floor space, a design influenced by IBM's needs in the 1980s. The two towers are topped with a pair of standing stone diamonds with cutout squares in the center.
The towers are separated by a 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) paved courtyard. Tables and chairs are arranged around a large pink granite circular fountain in the plaza's center. The plaza was designed by Laurie Olin of Hanna/Olin Ltd. Impressed by Commerce Square's plaza, Philadelphia's city planning commission included influences from the complex in a new building code governing open space.
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