I just spit coffee all over my computer screen…

That’s awful and pathetic and speaks to the bottom line. $$$

Can we blame the architect? Please, pretty please

No, you can’t…because this was developer driven with little to no design input.

what’s “possible” about this architectural crime?  it’s the worst i’ve ever seen.  no one involved in this project actually thinks looks good, right?  their website is also very confusing, both because it is the digital equivalent of this hot mess, and because it suggests that they build fugly mcmansions in berks county.          

[...] Philly is shocked at what it calls a “possible architectural crime against humanity,” that is the jarring juxtaposition of a horrendous addition to the otherwise charming Victorian at [...]

The only thing that makes it “possible” is that the building isn’t finished yet and the developer could yet improve the aesthetics of the exterior. Not saying this is likely by any means, but it could happen.

It doesn’t look like there was an architect involved. Maybe we can blame the draftsman.

Well then,who did the drawings and then stamped them for the building permit? The developer themselves? 
 If so, it seems that much of the development in the city, much of it bad, as represented by the daily examples on this website are being drawn up and stamped by developer without the input of an architect. If this assumption is incorrect then many of the architects in this city have no talent or no morals or most probably a combination of both. On the hand if  it is true then why does the architectural profession even exist.

Architects do not have to stamp these drawings. An engineers can very well do so. But yes, agreed, there are very bad architects out there who just look for the buck and don’t care about their work. See 90% of the work out there (unfortunately)

I think it’s pretty. Sort of has the prison/ice cube chic.

Holy crap.  That is UNREAL.  If they told the Philadelphia Historical Commission one thing and then did something else is there action that can be taken? 

I thought there was no worse crime then buying a architecturally beautiful and unique building just to let it sit and rot so you can replace with a cheapo row home with ugly bays… I used to think that at least.  At least in that scenario, the building gets to mercifully die.  It may be undignified and painful, but in the end, the once impressive structure gets crumbled to dust and rests in peace.  THIS is a whole new level of awful.  I can’t believe that the once proud structure has been reduced to this.  How humiliating.  What a monstrosity, like Frankenstein’s monster this building should be chased by angry townspeople with pitchforks and killed… and whoever the Frankenstein is should be put in jail. 

An ugly square tumor of an addition….really a shame that developers can’t do better than that.

Truly sad.

There’s one possibility that could be good news or bad.  Is this the whole project, or is it just the  link structure to a larger and hopefully more appropriate building to be built on the remaining lot? 

You said it would look terrible sitting along in a field.  I think that’s where the owners should have built it.  Tall weeds might have made it look better.

I LOVE the way architects talk – they as as full of hot air  as  lawyers. The saving factor is that they are trying to make you believe that what they are doing is in your interest.  Anyone know the name of the artchitect and can “out him or her”? 

Actually they are unlike lawyers in that nobody constructing buildings at this scale needs an architect but I am sure all these developers are lawyered up.

How did those plans get past the neighborhood association?
So who was the architect on this project?

would it really be so hard to just copy the old picture???

Ouch

At least the color scheme of the addition matches the facade and windows of the original. I was led to assume that the add-on would eventually come to have that same gray stone surface. Give it six more months and if nothing changes, it’s fair to call it what it is: a parasite of a development feeding on history and dignity.

this reminds me, what happened to the worst rehab ever contest?

[...] already brought you the greatest architectural crime near Temple’s campus, and we don’t contend that today’s example is anywhere near as egregious. That being [...]

Hopefully that’s a green roof deck on top. I’d put my life savings on the line that its not.

Yes, it must be the owner of the land fault that people have no respect for their neighborhood that they just throw garbage on an empty lot instead of in the trash.

Gotta be the developers fault for restoring a complete shell of a house. And that old home pictured above would still be in good condition if people of Philadelphia took any pride in their neighborhood. The community doesn’t care about old, shitty, brokendown houses with weeds and grass everywhere until someone buys it and tries to fix it up. Then the internet tough guys come out.

You probably would have complained about the tall weeds.

So inserting a tumor onto a historic house is considered “fixing it up”?

Looks more like a building than a “tumor?” I would expect someone with an English degree to have a better vocabulary and punctuation skills.

Why aren’t the original owners of these “historic mansions” held responsible for allowing their “historic mansions” to become pieces of shit over time, not pay any taxes and not maintain their property? Of course it’s all of these developers that are evil and ruining the city.

you must have a lot of time on your hands today for all your necroposting on this website.

No, it’s just the hack job developers. There are plenty of developers that do nice work and people love to see it. Others couldn’t be bothered, like these tasteless clowns above.