Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters - History

History

The Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters was conceived as part of the city of Philadelphia's plan to improve and revive the area around Independence Hall. Along with the creation of a park north of Independence Hall, the area saw the construction of new and modern buildings including a federal courthouse, a new Philadelphia Mint and the Rohm and Haas Building. For the revival of the Independence Mall area, city planner Edmund Bacon approached Otto Haas to move Rohm and Haas, a Philadelphia-based chemical manufacturing company, to Independence Mall. According to legend, Haas reportedly said, "This city may or may not survive. But if companies like Rohm and Haas desert it, then surely the city will not survive!" Federal funds for private investors investing in urban renewal land was also a significant factor in Rohm and Haas's decision to stay in Philadelphia.

In 1959 Rohm and Haas, the first private investor to build on the Independence Mall, first commissioned Philadelphia-based George M. Ewing Co. to design their new headquarters. Ewing's design was met with a poor response from the City Art Commission, and Rohm and Haas decided on using a leading architect and approached Pietro Belluschi. At the time the dean of architecture and planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Belluschi worked with George M. Ewing Co. to redesign Ewing's original plan. The new design was completed in a few months and was approved by Rohm and Haas, the City Planning Commission, the Redevelopment Authority, and the City Art Commission. Construction began in 1963 and was completed in 1964, costing close to US$10 million. Rohm and Haas moved from their old Washington Square headquarters into the new building in 1965.

By the 2000s, the Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters needed upgrades to its building systems and facilities. The company spent two years deciding whether to renovate its current building or to move to cheaper, more modern space in Center City. In 2006 Rohm and Haas decided to stay in the current building and spend up to US$25 million on renovations. The building's architecture and layout were the main reason for the company to stay. The building allows single departments to stay together on the same floor, while in a Center City skyscraper departments would likely have to be spread out over several floors.

RMJM Hillier was hired to handle the building's renovations. The original plan was well received but exceeded the renovation's budget. To help pay for the renovations, RMJM Hillier tried to get the building declared a National Historic Landmark, which would allow the company to get tax credits. Usually buildings less than fifty years old are not considered, but the building's significance in Modern architecture kept the state of Pennsylvania and the National Park Service interested. While not designated a National Historic Landmark, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 9, 2007.

To help get the Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters listed as a landmark, RMJM Hillier and Rohm and Haas focused renovations on opening up floor space and modernizing systems. A part of the original plan that altered the building's facade was abandoned, but the facade received a thorough cleaning. Inside, most of the enclosed office space was removed and replaced with open workstations. The new layout was also designed to let more light into the interior of the building. The work spaces also received new furniture, which replaced some that dated back to the 1960s. The dining area was moved from the basement to street level in a space that was previously occupied by a bank, but had lain vacant for several years. Security, telecommunications, and central plant systems were also upgraded and modernized. The interior renovations finished around May 2008, with improvements to the surrounding plaza completed several months later.