Proposed Tower in Historic Philadelphia Area Raises Ire

A tower proposed on Philadelphia’s Jewelers Row, the blocklong area along Sansom Street famous for being the oldest and second-largest diamond district in the U.S., has raised the ire of preservationists, The Architect’s Newspaper reported. The SLCE Architects-designed proposal by local developer Toll Brothers has been through several iterations, the latest a sleek, 24-story glassy structure with a few simple setbacks. Building it would require the demolition of several historic structures. Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron is one of the most vocal opponents of the plan, describing the potential newcomer as an “architectural zombie” that would be incongruous with its surroundings.