PPL Building
| PPL Building | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Pennsylvania Power and Light Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Architectural style | Art Deco / Art Moderne |
| Location | 2 North 9th Street Allentown, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°36′05″N 75°28′33″W / 40.6014°N 75.4758°W |
| Construction started | 1926 |
| Completed | 1928 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 98.02 m (321.6 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 24 |
| Floor area | 19,094 m2 (205,530 sq ft) |
| Lifts/elevators | 6 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Helmle, Corbett & Harrison |
| References | |
| [1][2][3] | |
The PPL Building, formerly the Pennsylvania Power and Light Building, is a 24-story, 98 m (322 ft) skyscraper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is the tallest building in the city, and the second tallest in the Lehigh Valley after Bethlehem's Martin Tower. The building serves as the headquarters for the electric utility, PPL.
The PPL Building is often uniquely illuminated at night, especially during the Christmas season.[4] During the 1960s, Pennsylvania Power & Light Company supported the local United Fund community fund drive program by using the building's brightly lit windows at night to spell out the abbreviation "U.F." to remind area residents to contribute to the fund drive.
History
The PPL Building was built from 1926 to 1928. It was built by the PPL corporation and to this day has been the headquarters of the company. The building was designed by architect and skyscraper pioneer Harvey Wiley Corbett, who would later have a hand in designing New York's Rockefeller Center, and was supervised by his assistant, Wallace Harrison, who would later design Lincoln Center, LaGuardia Airport, and the U.N. Headquarters Building. The building exterior features bas reliefs by Alexander Archipenko.[2] In 1930, the PPL Building was named the "best example of a modern office building" by Encyclopædia Britannica, and also featured the world's fastest elevator.
See also
References
- ^ "PPL Building". CTBUH Skyscraper Center.
- ^ a b PPL Building at Emporis
- ^ "PPL Building". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ "Christmas lights on PPL building date to the 1950s". The Morning Call. 13 December 2004. Retrieved 9 August 2013.