Five Penn Center

Five Penn Center is a 36-story high-rise with a distinctive rectangular form at 1601 Market Street in downtown Philadelphia. The building connects office spaces directly to Suburban Station through an underground concourse system, providing seamless access to the city's rail network.

The building was constructed in 1970 as a key part of Philadelphia's post-war downtown modernization and commercial expansion. Its development marked the shift toward integrating office space with transit infrastructure as cities reimagined their urban cores.

The building is part of the Penn Center complex, which reshaped Philadelphia's downtown into a major commercial and transit hub. You can see how the space connects working life with public transportation, making it a practical center for the city's business activity.

Access to the building and the underground rail station is straightforward from Market Street, though entrances are located at different points. It helps to allow extra time when navigating the underground passages, as they extend beneath several buildings in the Penn Center complex.

The building gained attention for a distinctive rental pricing approach when it first opened, where office space rates cleverly reflected the property address. This creative strategy turned the street number into a memorable marketing angle for potential tenants.

Location: Pennsylvania

Architects: Emery Roth

Official opening: 1970

Floors above the ground: 36

GPS coordinates: 39.95310,-75.16740

Latest update: December 8, 2025 21:01