Although beloved by so many people throughout the Delaware Valley, Wawa has an alter ego, dubbed Wawa the Destroyer, that is spreading dullness across the city, columnist Inga Saffron writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Wawa is expanding its presence in Philadelphia and, in the process, destroying many architecturally unique buildings.

A year ago, the Public Ledger building at Sixth and Chestnut designed by Horace Trumbauer received the Wawa treatment after its Georgian Revival columns were covered with generic white ceramic tile.

Another Center City building is at 16th and Ranstead, a rare survivor of the urban renewal intrusions around City Hall. Wawa plans to replace the building’s smooth marble and stainless steel façade with earthy tones adorned with its signature red detailing.

While Wawa’s modifications may seem minor compared to all the demolition in Philadelphia, Saffron believes these buildings are still works of serious architecture and deserve respect.

“If Wawa couldn’t come up with a strategy to incorporate those works of art into the store’s interior design aesthetic, couldn’t it have at least boxed them in, so they could be recovered?” she writes.

Read more about Wawa in The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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