Premium lifestyle hotel takes shape in Rittenhouse Square

The final steel beam was raised Thursday on Philadelphia’s new Hyatt Centric hotel, one of the newest properties in the lifestyle hotel brand’s international portfolio. The 13-story upscale hotel is going up at 17th and Chancellor streets, a block from Rittenhouse Square and in the center of high-end shops and restaurants.

“This boutique hotel will connect millennial-minded travelers to the heart of the action so they never miss a moment of adventure,” said Patrick McCudden, Senior Vice President for Capital Strategy and Corporate Development, Hyatt. “We are adding Hyatt Centric hotels in prime destinations throughout the world. Each is thoughtfully designed to enable exploration and discovery, unique to its location in culture and design.”

Extending the length of Chancellor Street, the 190,000-square-foot building will feature street-level retail and a restaurant and bar on the second floor. The 332-room hotel will include 22 executive suites that will be well suited for business travelers. Guests will have access to high-end amenities including a fitness center, event and meeting facilities, and lounges for social connectivity and creative collaboration. Below-grade parking includes spaces for 220 cars and kiosks for locking 32 bicycles.

“We used the narrow site to our advantage,” said David Schultz of DAS Architects, “creating the faceted façade that unfolds as you approach the hotel. We used glass, metal and high-performance concrete panels, as well as brick to complement the surrounding historic buildings. Eco-conscious and sustainable materials are used throughout to target LEED Silver certification. The building is modern, but will fit well within the urban context.”

The hotel is being constructed by Clemens Construction, which has worked collaboratively with the owner and design team in the planning and execution of this complex, urban infill project.

The Topping Out Celebration began with the signing of the steel beam and comments from Steve Pouppirt, President of Clemens and Carol Horne Penn, Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Relations for Clemens.

“This is a big day for us,” said Pouppirt. “We are celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2019, and we are excited to be building this transformative project in Center City Philadelphia. I’m proud to say that we specialize in building on narrow sites, between adjacent structures, with minimal laydown area, on high-traffic streets with road closures and noise restrictions. That’s what it takes to make this city great, and we’re doing our part.”

Hyatt Centric Philadelphia is expected to be complete in summer of 2020.

The project team includes Clemens Construction – contractor; DAS Architects – architecture and interior design; Becker & Frondorf – project management; Crème – interior design; Harman Group – structural engineering; Bala Engineers – m/e/p engineering; Bohler Engineering / Maser Consulting – site / civil engineering; Tim Haahs – parking; Lighting Practice – lighting design; Metropolitan Acoustics – acoustical design; Re:Vision Architecture / Setty & Assoc – sustainability; RWDI – façade; Design Difference – food service.