Serving as the visitor center for one of Philadelphia’s largest attractions, Independence National Park, and located centrally on Independence Mall, the Visitor Center is heavily utilized by the public, tourists, and as a rentable, special events venue.

Keast & Hood served as the structural engineer of record for the original 50,000 SF building and underground parking garage, and was subsequently engaged to provide design for the building’s expansion and upgrades. The modest, 5,000 SF expansion makes a large impact by increasing the building’s capacity to accommodate an increase in visitors and host more special events throughout the year.

The center’s improvements included structural design for a restroom addition, enlarged gift shop, modernized theater, expanded outdoor terrace, and a variety of other improvements and space reconfigurations to create a cutting-edge, digitally advanced center. To support alterations at specific areas, spatial reconfigurations of the building’s lateral resisting braced frames was required.

Serving as the visitor center for one of Philadelphia’s largest attractions, Independence National Park, and located centrally on Independence Mall, the Visitor Center is heavily utilized by the public, tourists, and as a rentable, special events venue.

Keast & Hood served as the structural engineer of record for the original 50,000 SF building and underground parking garage, and was subsequently engaged to provide design for the building’s expansion and upgrades. The modest, 5,000 SF expansion makes a large impact by increasing the building’s capacity to accommodate an increase in visitors and host more special events throughout the year.

The center’s improvements included structural design for a restroom addition, enlarged gift shop, modernized theater, expanded outdoor terrace, and a variety of other improvements and space reconfigurations to create a cutting-edge, digitally advanced center. To support alterations at specific areas, spatial reconfigurations of the building’s lateral resisting braced frames was required.

CLIENT: Jacobs/Wyper Architect
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA

TYPE: Cultural, Government, SERVICES: Addition, Renovation, MATERIALS: Steel, SUSTAINABILITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Final Project Photography © Charles Uniatowski Photography