Interface Studio

BIG GREEN ARROW ON THE GOLDTEX BUILDING!

CLICK through the images to the right to see photos and maps of the Big Green Arrow and the Reading Viaduct…

Suddenly, there are signs of new life at the long-dormant Goldtex Building on 12th Street just North of Vine in Philadelphia’s Callowhill neighborhood. An initial flurry of suits coming in and out of the building last fall was followed by scaffolding and demolition crews. And, now, you just can’t miss the big green arrow on the building’s south façade. For years, the ten-story building sat windowless and cloaked in graffiti, looming over the Vine Street Expressway as a prominent symbol of the Callowhill neighborhood’s decline despite its close proximity to Center City and the revitalization of other neighborhoods nearby. The building has been a beacon of vandalism and neglect, belying the momentum of reemergence slowly building in the neighborhood over the past ten years or so.

Enter: brothers Mike and Matt Pestronk, the Philadelphia-based development duo comprising Post Brothers Apartments. In an effort to generate a buzz about the building’s in-progress conversion to rental apartments, Post Brothers invited creative ideas to use the building’s expansive facades for…well, anything, really. After presenting a few initial ideas, Interface Studio was commissioned to develop a concept for a temporary art installation and oversee its execution.

The big green arrow directs attention to the “trunk” of the two branches of the former Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, elevated 20 feet above street level on the east side of the Goldtex Building. Known to many as the “Reading Viaduct,” the rail has not been in use since 1984, and has since been taken over by wild urban plants [which some may narrowly dismiss as “weeds”], the homeless, and graffiti writers. Today, some view the Viaduct as a demolition-worthy eyesore; others think of it as a gritty yet romantic place to steal unrivaled views of the Philadelphia skyline; most just don’t even know it’s there at all.

So, what’s the “point” of the big green arrow? Why make a big deal out of this piece of long-abandoned infrastructure? The long-established advocacy group Reading Viaduct Project and new non-profit cool kids on the block VIADUCTgreene are seeking to do exactly that—bring greater attention to the Viaduct and spark a collective imagination to dream up the possibilities of transforming the former rail right-of-way into a linear park stretching through several neighborhoods, providing open space connections through parts of the City that are starved for recreational amenities. One need not look further than the High Line in Manhattan to see what kind of value such a transformation can bring to a neighborhood. Of course, there are plenty of other precedents we can look to for inspiration in dreaming up a new identity for the Reading Viaduct and new ways to experience it that celebrate its essential character. Mike and Matt Pestronk share in the dream as well, enthusiastically allowing a bunch of rogue urban designers to temporarily co-opt their construction project to raise awareness of the advocacy effort.

Small-scale neighborhood cleaning and greening projects have gone a long way to spruce up the slack spaces near the base of the elevated former rail and, now, the much bigger concept of a grand overhaul is gaining traction at a higher level of agency—the City’s new comprehensive plan, Philadelphia 2035, recognizes the Reading Viaduct as an opportunity for future recreational use, and Mayor Nutter has expressed his support. It’s now a matter of directing energies into productive partnerships, collective visioning, and pursuing the resources to make it happen.

Keep an eye on Goldtex for phase two of the installation, a large-scale digital video projection on the building’s east façade over the Viaduct…

Extra special thanks to:
Post Brothers Apartments
John Struble and Michelle Liao

Many thanks to:
Julie Boucek
Billy Blaise Dufala
Will Gramling
Gwynne Keathley
Paul Maiello
Paul van Meter and Liz Maillie of VIADUCTgreene
Ben Speciale
Little Buddy