St. James Apartment   The St. James is a luxury residential skyscraper in Washington Square West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The 498 feet (152 m), 45-story high-rise stands along Walnut Street and Washington Square and is the 15th tallest building in Philadelphia. The Chicago-style, was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates Inc. with assistance by architectural firm Bower Lewis Thrower. The glass and concrete skyscraper's east and west facade is split between a curved wall, a squared-off wing, and a strip of blue glass that separates them. These buildings included three Federal-style rowhouses built in 1807 called York Row and the Italianate-style former headquarters of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, built in 1868–1869. After lying vacant and neglected for years, the only part of York Row preserved were the rowhouses' facades. Only a back portion of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society building was demolished, the rest being incorporated as retail and office space. Developer P&A Associates first attempted to develop the site in 1995, but was delayed because of a lack of investor confidence in the project. When the Philadelphia residential market improved in the late 1990s, St. James Associates Joint Venture, a joint venture of P&A Associates and others, began construction in November 2001. The high-rise building, completed in 2004, features 306 units, with each but the studio apartments having a private balcony. Its amenities include a 60 feet (18 m) swimming pool, a private courtyard, and a nine-story parking garage that makes up the base of the building. The St. James has won several awards, including the 2006 National Association of Home Builders awards for Best Luxury Rental Apartment Primary Market and Best High-Rise Rental Apartment (Wikipedia)