The city of Philadelphia is well known for its rich architectural legacy. The mid-century homes of Philadelphia are part of this tradition. Fine examples of early modernist Philadelphia residential architecture can be found in East Falls and West Mt. Airy. A good example is Richard Neutra's Hasserick house, which has a very charcteristic wall of glass connecting the living room to its outdoor surroundings.
The 1960s brought a revitalization of the city center historic districts. The prevailing building codes did not allow homes that were being built to closely resemble the historic ones, ensuring that tourists would know which ones actually were from the 18th and 19th century. This policy fostered the design and construction of many modern Philadelphia properties in the city center. I. M. Pei designed the Society Hill Towers and a number of modernist townhomes nearby. During this same period, a number of mid-century homes were also designed by well known architects for the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. Louis Kahn's Esherick house is a fine example of this, and Robert Venturi designed a widely published post modern home nearby for his mother.
