A reconstruction of the 1928 City Hall Station in Philadelphia involves not only elevator access from Plaza level, Concourse and platform levels (the only place in the city that all 3 major subway lines are connected) but also widening of concourse pathways. This involves underpinning of City Hall which is the largest masonry load bearing building in the USA.
SITE
City Hall Station, Philadelphia, PA
DATES
2004 to 2012 - Design Phase
2014 - Construction of Dilworth Park Station
2019 - Anticipated start of construction for SEPTA City Hall Station
ARCHITECTURE
Dan Chong, Project Architect (BLTa)
SEPTA, Client
Gannett Fleming, Structural/Civil
Arora, MEP Engineers
DESCRIPTION
The fare lines on the Upper Concourse were constructed in advance of the major pieces of the work at the platform level, creating a new "gateway" to the SEPTA transit hub. This was done to coincide with the Dilworth Plaza reconstruction.
Aspirationally, one of things we were trying to accomplish was to make this station as accessible as possible with ramps and elevators while at the same time trying to preserve some of the historic character of this century old rail station. Not an easy feat for a station that is the intersection of the 3 major subway lines in Philadelphia - with none of them really stacking neatly in a vertical fashion for elevators. Renderings courtesty of BLTa. Hand drawings by Dan Chong.
