Philadelphia's best buildings contest: Elite Eight
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The Sweet 16 votes are in, and you didn’t hold back — we received 387 responses!
- Time for the Elite 8.
Liberty Place vs. Fisher Fine Arts Library
Liberty Place, Philly’s first skyscraper that soared above William Penn atop City Hall, took 66% of the vote, convincingly beating our newest and tallest additions to the skyline, the Comcast Towers.
- The Elite Eight pits Liberty Place’s iconic spires and glass facades against the Fisher Fine Arts Library, a 19th-century masterpiece. The two couldn’t be more different!
City Hall vs. Philadelphia Museum of Art
Unsurprisingly, City Hall toppled the Parkway Central Library, garnering more than 86% of your votes.
- Now City Hall — at one point the tallest structure in the world — takes on the art museum. We're predicting a nail-biter here.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts vs. Wanamaker Building
North Broad’s fine arts academy defeated the only church in the tournament, pulling out a tight win (51.7%) against the Church of the Gesú.
- Designed by architects Frank Furness and George Hewitt, the U.S.'s first school and museum of fine arts takes on the Wanamaker Building, another 19th-century gem.
Shofuso House vs. Carpenters' Hall
Home to some of the best cherry trees in the city, the Shofuso House won a squeaker (50.4%) against the Lemon Hill Mansion in the battle of Fairmount Park buildings.
- Now it's a matchup between the smallest buildings left: the Japanese tea house vs. Carpenters’ Hall.
🗳 Elite Eight voting is open!
- Polls close at 3pm.