fontastic in philly

What do I like about this font at the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building on Market and 12th Streets, now the Loews Philadelphia Hotel since 2000? The rounded smoothness. Just look at the beautiful '8.' And the depth of the letters. They cast quite a shadow.

The PSFS by architects George Howe and William Lescaze was completed in 1932 and is noted for being the first truly modern skyscraper in Philadelphia, complete with an escalator in the lobby. Created in the International Style, this converted 36-floor office building is wonderfully unique hotel experience in the heart of the city. It was a thrill to stay in this historic landmark a few years ago. And the pool! The pool was fabulous. Here is a bit more about the ground-breaking design of the PSFS Building from AbsoluteArts.com:

The second section will demonstrate how every aspect of the building, from its red neon rooftop sign to its Cartier clocks, was designed by the architects as a seamless work of art. Beyond its progressive architecture, the building was heralded for other pioneering elements, some of which would become standard features of post-World War II commercial buildings. Among these innovations are street-level shops, the use of an escalator as a primary means of entrance, radio outlets in every office, nearby garage facilities, high-rise elevators, thermostatically controlled heat and a rooftop observation platform. Perhaps the most noteworthy advance of all was the use of air conditioning, which ranked PSFS the second tallest building in America to be climate controlled. This section of the exhibition will also display photography and Modernist graphic designs created to promote the building at its opening.