Center for the Preservation of Modernism
Philadelphia Modernism Map & Images
In collaboration with Docomomo Philadelphia and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, the Center for the Preservation of Modernism has developed an inventory of the city’s rich heritage of modernist buildings. This research is published as an interactive map cataloging nearly 500 modernist buildings, ranging from houses of worship to residential and industrial buildings – and many typologies in between.
Compiled by a group of Jefferson faculty and students, DocomomoPHL board members and staff of the Preservation Alliance, the map highlights the architect or designer and date of construction for each building, as well as historical notes and descriptions. The map can be filtered by architect, date of construction or even neighborhood, making it easy to navigate for scholars and enthusiasts alike.
Contributions to the map are ongoing, and updates will be made as more buildings are discovered or new information arises. Key project participants include Suzanna Barucco, Julia Hayman, Kevin King, Grace Ong Yan, Suzanne Singletary and Daniel Vieyra. Particular thanks are extended to the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for its assistance in developing a core list of modern buildings to spotlight and to Greg Fisher, without whose GIS support the map would not have been made available online. Photographs were provided by Michael Bixler, Kevin King and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
International House (1968-70), Bower & Fradley
Photo: Michael Bixler.
This monumental cast-concrete building was purpose-built as foreign student housing during a period of urban renewal in the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia. A series of Vierendeel trusses support the upper eight floors of the building, which express the repetitive nature of student dorm rooms through their gridded concrete forms with inset windows.
Columbus Square Park Building (1960), Gabriel B. Roth and Elizabeth R. Hirsh Fleisher (Demolished 2019)
Photo: Michael Bixler.
Originally built to serve as a senior center for the South Philadelphia neighborhood, this round pavilion was a collaboration between Roth and Fleisher, one of the earliest licensed female architects in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the first in Philadelphia. Its small size – 35 feet in diameter and consisting of only one story plus a mezzanine – meant that it was quickly outgrown. Unfortunately, this building was demolished in 2019 as part of a broader redevelopment of the park.
Ott Camera (1955), Alan A. Berkowitz
Photo: Michael Bixler.
Constructed in 1955 for its original owner, Joseph C. Ott, this building housed a neighborhood camera supply and film rental company. It is a significant local example of “Main Street Modernism,” which centered around merging architecture with advertisement. An oversized neon sign reading “Ott” projects forward from the building, as a three-dimensional billboard; the “O” is taller than the roof to abstract a viewfinder on the top of a camera.
Frank Weise Home and Studio (1966-1998), Frank Weise
Photo: Michael Bixler.
An ever-evolving project for modernist architect Frank Weise, this building was a former stable, originally built circa 1895. Weise purchased it in 1958 to serve as his home and studio and began designing his renovations in 1960. Weise’s studio occupied the first through third floor, with his home above.
Walnut Street Parking Garage (1963), Mitchell/Giurgola
Photo: Michael Bixler.
This concrete and brick marvel holds pride of place along a primary entrance to Penn’s campus from the east. A series of poured-in-place concrete trusses, shaped like interlocking Xs, form the structure for the four parking decks. Mitchell and Giurgola treat the parking garage as a building with a distinct architectural point of view.