2040 MARKET STREET

BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW

FOR AN ARCHITECT WORKING ON A PROJECT THAT MESHES AN EXISTING BUILDING WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION, FINDING THE RIGHT EXTERIOR CLADDING PRODUCT TO VISUALLY CONNECT THE TWO STRUCTURES CAN BE A CHALLENGE.

The exterior cladding product selection is particularly important to help create the illusion that the building always looked like one structure, rather than being able to identify the old part from the new.

Although the former headquarters of AAA Mid-Atlantic (the old part of the building) had an iconic look in the early 1960’s, by today’s design standards the building looked tired and needed a fresh, contemporary skin. Trespa® Meteon® panels were selected for the building’s façade, blending the old building with the new structure to create one unified, modern look. The design flexibility and low maintenance of the panels made them an especially appealing choice for Varenhorst, since the building is located in an urban setting with heavy exposure to both vehicle and foot traffic.

THE WOW-FACTOR
Based in downtown Philadelphia, in 2013 the dated building was transformed into a stunning, mixed-use, multi-family complex. Architectural firm Varenhorst created a space highly sought after by city-goers, with its sleek, contemporary design and central location within the hustle and bustle of the city. In fact, when the panel installation started it created such a buzz in the city the building owner was able to fully lease the building before construction was even finished.

With 282 units and 14,000 square feet of first-floor retail space, the building is perfect for tenants and shoppers alike. The space is complete with a community roof deck, fitness center and hotel-style lobby.

CREATING THE RIGHT LOOK
Floor to ceiling windows in each unit create an open feel for residents to feel like they’re part of the city. Three custom colors of Trespa® Meteon® were used to enhance the building’s curb appeal and make it a truly unique property within the landscape of downtown Philadelphia.

Trespa® Meteon® panels had just the right amount of reflectivity and responsiveness to the natural light conditions that the property owners were looking for to create a welcoming effect for the building. The reflectivity of the panels offer a very dramatic transition from daytime to night, creating a completely different look. The transformation of the former AAA Building into today’s Market Street Apartments created a welcome addition to the Philadelpia cityscape.

“The Trespa® cladding panels did a great job of seamlessly unifying
the appearance of the renovated existing building with the new
building expansion, more than doubling the original building’s size.”

- Neil Garrioch, Studio Director, Varenhorst

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