The catalyst.
In Philadelphia, 100 Independence is best known as the setting of Independence Beer Garden. However, this iconic building lays claim to several noteworthy stories, from its 1963 commissioning by Rohm & Hass to its present-day status as a cultural hub and regional HQ of Macquarie Investment Management.
Success story.
Keystone acquired 100 Independence in 2013 and reinvented the building’s empty ground floor and lower level by creating a vibrant indoor-outdoor experience with Independence Beer Garden and La Colombe—all within steps of Philadelphia’s cultural landmarks. The revitalized streetscape, supported by the addition of public parking, is driving the transformation of Independence Mall into a live-work-play environment. The improvements, as well as the growing vibrancy of Independence Mall and the East Market Street corridor, distinguished 100 Independence attracted Macquarie Investment Management, a global asset management firm. The company is the building’s anchor tenant, furthering its progress into one of the most dynamic, mixed-use buildings in the city.
Icon status.
Designed by Pietro Belluschi in collaboration with the George M. Ewing Company, 100 Independence is a modernist icon commissioned by one of twentieth-century Philadelphia’s leading corporations, the specialty chemical manufacturer Rohm & Haas Company. The building broke ground in 1963 and was completed in 1965; in 2007, at only 42 years of age, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places “for its exceptional importance in the area of architecture as one of Philadelphia’s premier examples of the modern movement style of architecture and the work of a nationally significant architect.”
In a ‘glas’ by itself.
The building’s ground-floor interior spaces feature custom-designed chandeliers commissioned by Rohm & Haas to showcase Plexiglas, the company’s signature product. Designed by Györy Kepes, each chandelier is composed of Plexiglas rods of various lengths and diameters, precisely arranged to showcase the material’s unique, light-transmitting qualities. In 2020, the chandeliers were updated with color-changing LED light fixtures.
Let’s talk.
Jake Fruncillo
(610) 980 7000