"The architectural heritage of over 300 years is visible on every street in every section of the city: Philadelphia is quite literally a museum of American architecture. Its 'collection' includes…virtually every important style found throughout the United States."—From the Introduction
Philadelphia Architecture provides descriptions and photographs of over 400 of the city's important buildings. With seven walking tours, historical timelines, and short biographies of Philadelphia architects (including Frank Furness and Louis Kahn), the book will appeal to visitors, residents, and architecture enthusiasts.
The core of the guide is a catalog of 250 buildings representing a broad range of building types and architectural styles. The building entries are divided into three chronological sections: 1682–1820; 1821–1900; 1900–1983. Each entry gives the name, date, location, and architect as well as information about the client, events related to the building, its use and major architectural features. The descriptions show how the buildings fit into the social and economic history of the city as well as how they relate to the evolution of architectural styles.
Each chronological section is introduced by an essay which describes the physical, social, and economic growth of the city, thereby placing the buildings in a broader context. These essays are illustrated by maps and decorative arts representative of the period. There is an illustrated glossary of architectural terms and biographies of the most important Philadelphia architects.
The guide also contains nine walking and driving tours with four-color maps of areas with significant concentrations of important buildings, and cross-referenced to the building entries. Places of interest in the city and region such as the Italian Market, Longwood Gardens, and The Philadelphia Zoo are highlighted. A reference section (places to get information about architecture, tours and the like) and an index conclude this handy, informative book.
Philadelphia Architecture is copublished with The Foundation for Architecture, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute for Architects.
John Andrew Gallery has been a member of Philadelphia's community development and historic preservation community for close to fifty years. From 2002 to 2013, he was Executive Director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, where he advocated for the city's historic built environment. He is the author of The Planning of Center City Philadelphia: From William Penn to the Present and editor of Sacred Sites of Center City, both available from Paul Dry Books.
