In June 2022, renowned photographic artist, Donn Delson was commissioned to create a series of artworks for display in the shared spaces of The Laurel and 1909 Rittenhouse. Working in partnership with Faulkner Design Group, Donn’s mission was to complement the aesthetic of the residential towers and their special relationship with Rittenhouse Square. A laurel, the state flower of Pennsylvania and the tower’s namesake, would become an essential component of the art. Donn spent two days hiking through the woods to find the right grouping of wild laurels to shoot. His efforts emerged as the 48” x 72” image entitled Laurel View, hanging prominently on the 26th amenity floor. To further connect The Laurel with its iconic locale, Donn and his crew traversed Rittenhouse Square in the early morning light. Donn captured the image that would be The Lady of the Fountain gracing the 1st floor entrance lobby of 1909 Rittenhouse. To create the piece for The Laurel’s shared library area on the 4th floor, Donn took to flight in a doorless helicopter. Soaring 3,500 feet above the Square, he captured the park’s full magnificence in all its summer greenery. This large-scale work, celebrating the regal quality of Rittenhouse Square, and its crowning residential newcomer, is aptly named, The Laurel.
When acclaimed aerial artist, Donn Delson, was commissioned to create works of art for The Laurel, it was like coming home to the ground of his youth. In his twenties, working in advertising for a tri-state theater, Donn lived at The Dorchester and then in a brownstone on 19th near Rittenhouse Square. Each morning, Don would walk through the Square on his way to work in an office on the very same grounds where The Laurel would one day be built. When Donn retired some forty years later, his passion for photography began to take flight. It was on a trip to New Zealand with his wife when Donn had his first chance to shoot from a doorless helicopter, and thereafter he focused on creating large-scale aerial images shot from “doors off” helicopters. Now, at 75 years old, Donn shoots from doorless helicopters around the world at heights of 12,000 square feet, more than two miles above the earth. Proclaimed by LA Weekly as an “aerial photographer with the eye of a painter and the heart of an adventurer,” Donn has seen his fine art, limited-edition works featured in major art shows and fairs worldwide and has an extensive collector base that spans the globe.
The final residential opportunity on the iconic Rittenhouse Square is about to make its debut. Now the tallest new condominium tower in Philadelphia’s Center City, The Laurel Rittenhouse’s limited collection of sky and estate residences take luxury to new heights and panoramic views to new horizons.
Rising at the northwest corner of Rittenhouse Square, The Laurel boasts Philadelphia’s most enviable location: rich in beauty, history and prestige.
