G. Fred DiBona Jr. Building, High-rise building in Philadelphia, United States.
The G. Fred DiBona Jr. Building is a 45-story office tower on Market Street in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, clad in blue glass with granite detailing at street level. It stands among the tallest structures in the city skyline and is visible from several points across central Philadelphia.
The tower opened in 1990 as the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower, during a period of active development in downtown Philadelphia. It was renamed in 2005 to honor G. Fred DiBona Jr., who had led Independence Blue Cross for many years.
The building is best known as the headquarters of Independence Blue Cross, the largest health insurer in the region. Passersby on Market Street can clearly see the company logo on the facade, making it one of the more recognizable corporate towers in downtown Philadelphia.
The building sits on Market Street close to several subway stations, making it easy to reach from most parts of the city. Since it is a private office tower, access for the public is limited to the exterior and street level.
In 1997, French free-climber Alain Robert scaled the exterior of the tower by hand up to the 44th floor, shortly after the corporate logo was installed on the facade. It was one of many such climbs he carried out on tall buildings around the world, though this one attracted local media coverage at the time.
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