The PSFS Building in Philadelphia was designed by which architectural partnership?

The PSFS Building in Philadelphia was designed by the architectural partnership of George Howe and William Lescaze. Their collaboration produced one of the earliest and most influential American skyscrapers in the International Style.

The Philadelphia Savings Fund Society commissioned the building, which opened in 1932 at 1200 Market Street. Howe brought substantial experience in Philadelphia architecture, while Swiss-born Lescaze contributed familiarity with European modernism and Cubist forms. The partnership formed in 1929, during the building's development.

The design rejected much traditional bank architecture. Its asymmetrical tower, horizontal window bands, glazed brick, dark granite base and prominent red rooftop “PSFS” sign expressed a modern corporate identity rather than historical grandeur. Because the architects controlled details ranging from fixtures to graphics, the building is often discussed as a highly integrated work of design.

The PSFS Building is frequently confused with later modernist landmarks or with individual architects associated with New York's Art Deco towers. It is distinctively tied to Howe and Lescaze and is widely regarded as the first International Style skyscraper built in the United States. It was later converted into the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.