The world's largest playable pipe organ sits in the Grand Court in the Macy's Center City Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 15, 2009. The organ, weighing 287 tons, has a 2.5 ton keydesk on which the instrument is played (visible on the second level on the left, being played by Peter Richard Conte) and has 28,482 pipes in numerous chambers that rise up seven stories above the court. It has been played every business day since John Wanamaker's new department store opened in 1911. The gold painted facade, designed by store architect Daniel H. Burnham, is in front of the main chambers for the pedal, swell, great, solo and orchestral divisions, while the grey shutters open and close to control the volume of sound from the three string divisions above the facade. [Agencies]  |
