Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published in the Summer 2025 issue of Extant, a publication of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

University Parking Garage

Location: 3201 Walnut Street

Architects: Mitchell/Giurgola Associates

Built: 1963

Brutalism is having a moment. The Oscar-winning, Philadelphia-set film, The Brutalist, casts a spotlight on the mid-century architectural movement characterized by the use of poured, raw concrete. Some hate the style. President Donald Trump isn’t a fan. On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order calling for “classical” architecture in federal buildings. In Philadelphia, an internationally renowned Brutalist building, the Police Administration Building (aka theRoundhouse), lost its bid for designation on the city’s historic register in November 2024.

Outstanding examples of Brutalist architecture deserve protection in Philadelphia, including a garage. The University Parking Garage was designed by partners Ehrman Mitchell and Romaldo Giurgola, whose work can be found and has been honored around the world. Diagonal, light-colored concrete trusses form the pattern of the exterior. Purple brick-clad walls rise over the Walnut Street side, intended for an addition that was never built.

Newer neighboring buildings on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus complement and seem to be inspired by the bold geometry of the Mitchell/Giurgola garage. Its style, which evokes powerful emotions one way or the other, certainly deserves preservation and appreciation on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.