A mural on the PSFS Building?
How do you feel about a mural on the iconic skyscraper?
A mural on the PSFS Building?
Molly Eichel
Conrad Benner, proprietor of street art blog Streets Dept, who we wrote about last year, started a petition on his site to put a mural on the back of the PSFS Building, currently owned by Loews. "I've lived in Philadelphia my entire life, 27 years," Benner said today. "I’ve always thought my to myself why this beautiful building has this black brick wall."
The petition currently has 88 signatures and the goal is 5000.
Benner started thinking about it and researched where the biggest mural in the country is. He did not like the answer: Omaha, Neb. Tourists flock to take tours of our murals, so why should we own the biggest one? "Take a building that is a landmark and [speaks to] our past and how beautiful we were, and paint a mural on it that would represent the future of Philly that, from my view, is heavy on the arts," Benner said. "I thought it would be a cool juxtaposition our history and our future all in one building."
Benner hasn't thought about any logistics yet, including selecting an artist or even asking Loews, but he's testing the waters. Benner threw out the idea of a temporary mural, done on parachute cloth, as well. "Anything could happen if enough people could make it happen," Benner said. Earlier today, the Mural Arts Program inquired about his idea, although Benner doesn't know how much they would want to commit.
Not everyone is pro-PSFS mural. As one commenter on Streets Dept. said, "With all due respect, this is a horrible idea," and gave four reasons, including the PSFS' Building's iconic status and the impossibility of choosing the correct design.
What do you think? Would you want a mural on the PSFS Building?
Murals make the city look like a JJ Evan's living room.— Captain Terrific- I've had the same idea. I think it could be a great idea and could be an iconic landmark, like the PSFS sign itself. Many people didn't like the PSFS sign when it was first put on the building, or the building itself, but now they are both protected historic landmarks that are a permanent part of the city.— wowzer1
- May be they could coax those people who mass produce the pictures that leak tears and ooze blood to come up with something appropriately distasteful.— He Visto Todo
- And let's put a mural on the Empire State Building as well as Independence Hall. There's a lot of horrible looking murals: Broad and Spring Garden on that school, across the street from Sabrina's Fairmount... 2nd and Vine...
Just because you can sign a petition and get x000 names, shouldn't allow this idea to go into fruition....— Misohoney - Horrible idea. And impractical--it's on a south-facing wall, and it will fade in a few years from being blasted by the sun every day, as the murals do now. Constant upkeep.
The blank wall is boring, but doesn't draw attention to itself, and that's fine. The building is important in architectural history, although I don't think the design is anything special. Leave it alone, and let the building exist in its own right. Philly would be a laughing stock in the arts and architecture communities if we allowed this to happen.— Tatt2
