Episode 6: Love to Hate It, Hate to Love it— Philadelphia's First Skyscraper
Hosted by Kendra Schmit
Release date: January 20, 2022
Philadelphia City Hall has been a symbol of the city since its construction at the turn of the century. Producer Kendra Schmit dives into the history of the building and explores how its architectural style actually fell out of fashion rather quickly. Despite this, for over eight decades there was a mandate that no building in Philadelphia could be taller than the William Penn statue topping City Hall, so this heart of the municipal government played a crucial role in shaping the skyline of Philadelphia. Alongside the Liberty Bell and a well-crafted cheesesteak, City Hall stands as a true monument from the City of Brotherly Love.
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About this episode of Monument Biography
About the host:
Kendra Schmit recently graduated from Temple University with her Masters of Architecture. She attended Temple for both undergrad and graduate degrees. In her free time she enjoys playing rugby and painting.
About the guests:
David Brownlee is a historian of modern architecture and Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kenneth Lum is the founder of Monument Lab and Marilyn Jordan Taylor Presidential Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kostis Kourelis, Associate Professor of Art History at Franklin and Marshall College, is an architectural historian and archaeologist.
Michael J. Lewis is Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art History at Williams College. He has numerous publications on modern architecture.
Want to learn more about the topics covered in this episode?
Michael J Lewis, “Silent, Weird, Beautiful: Philadelphia City Hall,” Nineteenth Century, vol. 11, nos. 3 and 4 (1992): 13–21.
John Andrew Gallery, Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City. Paul Dry Books, 2016.
Allen M. Hornblum and George J. Holmes, Philadelphia's City Hall. Arcadia, 2003.
Philadelphia City Hall video.
Music credits for this episode of Monument Biography:
Musical arrangements by Emily DeWoolfson