Centre Square (building)
Centre Square is an office complex in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The complex consists of two concrete high-rise towers: the Centre Square I, also known as Centre Square East, and the Centre Square II (Centre Square West) represent the 24th and 15th-tallest buildings in Philadelphia, respectively. Designed by Vincent Kling & Associates in the 1960s, Centre Square opened in 1973. The complex is credited with shifting Philadelphia's downtown office district from South Broad Street to West Market Street. A tenant since 1975, management consulting firm Willis Towers Watson is Centre Square's largest tenant. The complex is best known for Claes Oldenburg's sculpture, Clothespin, in the plaza in front of the building. A fan of contemporary art, developer Jack Wolgin commissioned three works under Philadelphia's percent for art program: Clothespin, Jean Dubuffet's Milord la Chamarre, and a series of banners by Alexander Calder. The works helped Philadelphia gain a reputation for promoting public art. History In the 1960s, Wolgin began development of a two-tower high-rise complex in the West Market Street neighborhood of Philadelphia. Existing structures at the site were demolished in 1969 after the city condemned the structures using eminent domain. With the project over budget, Centre Square was redesigned just before construction was scheduled to begin. Originally intended to be two steel high rises, the redesign used concrete instead. Unlike similar projects in the city, the entire complex was constructed all at once. The US$80-million Centre Square opened in 1973 with First Pennsylvania Bank as the lead tenant. Centre Square is credited with shifting Philadelphia's downtown office district from South Broad Street to West Market Street. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) had an ownership stake in the complex ever since Centre Square was constructed and in 1992 became the sole owner. Wolgin sold his stake in the complex in the early 1980s, and a partnership led by Metropolitan Life of Virginia took control of the complex around 2000. In 2002 MetLife put the property up for sale, and in October of that year HRPT Properties Trust bought Centre Square for US$183.5 million plus closing costs. With the acquisition of Centre Square, HRPT Properties Trust (now called Equity Commonwealth) began an improvement and renovation plan for the complex. Improvements included modernization of its elevator, air conditioning, and safety systems. Architectural firm Daroff Design Inc.'s plans included cleaning the structures and a redesign of parts of the atrium and the plaza in front of the building. In July 2017, New York-based Nightingale Properties purchased the buildings for $328 million, at the time the record for a multi-tenant property in Philadelphia. Architecture Consisting of two concrete high-rise towers connected by an atrium, the Centre Square is located on Market Street between 15th and 16th Streets in Center City. Located just across 15th Street west of Philadelphia City Hall, Centre Square was designed by Vincent Kling & Associates. The complex was one of several buildings designed by Kling that surround City Hall. These buildings, including the Municipal Services Building and One Meridian