Market Street has been one of Philadelphia’s most important thoroughfares since William Penn’s original plan for the city in the 17th century. Today, 3151 Market occupies a pivotal position at the edge of Schuylkill Yards, where the layered urban neighborhood meets the campuses of Drexel and UPenn to form a new nexus of knowledge and innovation. Designed by Gensler as a gateway between University City and Schuylkill Yards, the life sciences tower sits at the convergence of two diagonal pedestrian pathways connecting these adjacent universities.
At street level, SWA’s landscape design establishes public nodes for social engagement, frames gateway moments and vistas, and prioritizes pedestrian comfort. Because Market Street wraps the entire project, every edge was treated with equal care, from the primary frontages to the garage entry and temporary alley.
Special attention was given to materials and finishes to complement Gensler’s architecture while meeting public streetscape standards. Custom planters navigate the site’s grade changes, carefully coordinated to slope with the street, remain level at seating areas, drain on structure, and integrate cleanly with the building facade. The result is a ground-level experience that reflects both the ambition of Schuylkill Yards and the enduring civic character of one of Philadelphia’s most storied streets.
Burj Khalifa
Playing on the theme of “A Tower in a Park,” this shaded landscape creates a compelling oasis of green, with distinct areas to serve the tower’s hotel, residential, spa and corporate office areas. The visitor begins at the main arrival court at the base of the tower, where the “prow” of the building intersects a grand circular court—a “water room” defined by f...
One Uptown
Bringing a singular landscape design expression to a site featuring two buildings designed by different architects, the SWA/Balsley team worked to seamlessly integrate a variety of outdoor spaces to accommodate the mixed-use One Uptown. At the ground level, tree-lined streetscapes and bike lanes lead visitors to a coworking and dining courtyard along Burnet Ro...
Brentwood Town Centre
Following SWA’s development of a 2013 master plan for a new town center adjacent to the existing Brentwood Shopping Mall, the firm was enlisted to design the project’s public realm and expand its role as an integrated, sustainable, urban community. With key connectivity to main vehicular arteries and a high-speed train line, the new development functions as a ...
Flushing Commons
This ten-acre mixed-use development with parks, plazas, and retail will become the center of social and retail activity in downtown Flushing. Driven mostly by an influx of immigrants from East Asia, Flushing is one of the fastest-growing and most diverse neighborhoods in the US. Abuzz with shopping and socializing at all hours of the day and evening, its stree...