Dreams of a Giant Slide in the New Comcast Tower Are Fading

Original rendering via Comcast, Annotations by Dan McQuade

Remember that multi-story slide in the original renderings of Comcast’s second tower of tech Utopia, the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center? Sure you do! Dan McQuade told you all about it last January:

Now here’s where the building gets cool. First off, there is a slide. A slide! Why doesn’t every atrium-type room have slides? (Or at least fireman poles.) Think how much time you’d save going from the third floor to the first! Norman Foster combined McDonaldland with The Gallery and created the greatest room ever.

Apparently, it was all just one big tubular dream. Billy Penn reports that a source close to the project described the slide a “just a concept,” although designs haven’t been finalized. It looks like those kooky kids at Google (and, as Billy Penn reminds us, AWeber in Chalfont) really do have all the fun.  When asked about the slide or a timeline for finalizing the designs of the interior, a representative from Gensler directed us to a representative from Comcast, who wasn’t available for comment.

Meanwhile, the 1,121-foot tower is well underway at 1800 Arch Street and will be more than just the tallest building (the blade counts!) in the city. Its star-studded design team, lead by Foster + Partners and Gensler (on the interior), is a true statement for Philadelphia and speaks to the importance of this project–slide or no slide. Thanks to this incredible Vine, we know Sir Norman Foster is excited about it:

• Bummer: The Comcast Innovation Tower probably won’t have that slide [Billy Penn]