The intersection of 11th & Pine is one of the prettiest spots you could think of, with Philly’s dense, walkable layout combined with mature trees, historic architecture, and Louis Kahn Park. We’ve visited this very corner a couple of times over the years, most recently back in January, when the former home of Mama’s Wellness Joint was demolished, and a foundation was in place for a five-unit design from Gnome Architects. When you stroll by this SW corner of the intersection today, the scene is wildly different than earlier this year.

This modern, four-story building is now at full height – a pleasant surprise after our most recent visit. Also exciting? New renderings that provide some additional details on the design. And those details, thankfully, are looking very nice, with red brick rising for the first three floors before giving way to a contemporary fourth floor that creates a pleasing contrast with the existing rooflines immediately adjacent. That fourth floor is topped with the obligatory roof deck, offering what we’d imagine to be pretty wonderful Center City views. Multiple brick patterns will be used to create dimension and interest, while the curved windows at the ground level make it clear that this is truly a modern building.

We don’t have any word on whether or not these will be rentals or for-sale units, nor do we have any idea of what the future retail might be here. We do know the design is coming together very, very nicely, adding a worthy complement to the existing buildings in the area. Keeping the mixed-use approach here is another win, and having five units where there were two before is AOK in our book, too. And if you look just past the park to the north, there’s yet another new project that we know a thing or two about.

Cypress Commons is even further along since our visit to the corner of 11th & Cypress a few months back, with these gorgeous structures designed by JKRP now getting their finishing touches. Sitting more than 20 feet wide, these luxurious homes offer two-car parking, roof decks, and all of the features you can imagine. The design here also does an outstanding job of blending in with the neighborhood, creating something eye-catching yet contextual. Oh, and these homes are currently available for just under $2.5 million, so a piece of the neighborhood could be yours, if you’re into that kind of thing. With everything else happening in the area, we would imagine that plenty of people would have a desire to get in on the action.

Disclosure: Cypress Commons is being developed by an affiliate of OCF Realty, parent company of Naked Philly