U.S. Steel Tower
Encyclopedia
U.S. Steel Tower, also known as the Steel Building (formerly USX Tower), is the tallest skyscraper in Pittsburgh, the fourth tallest building in Pennsylvania, and the 37th tallest in the United States. Completed in 1970, the tower has 64 floor
s to 841 ft (256.3 m) and has 2300000 sq ft (213,677 m²) of leasable space. Its original name was the U.S. Steel Building for many years before it was changed to USX Tower in 1988. The name was finally changed back to the U.S. Steel Tower in January 2002 to reflect U.S. Steel
's new corporate identity (USX was the 1990s combined oil/energy/steel conglomerate). Although no longer the owner of the building
, U.S. Steel is one of the largest tenants
, occupying more than a 500000 sq ft (46,451.5 m²) of office space. The building is located at 600 Grant Street, ZIP code 15219.
and Chicago
. However, it eventually lost even that distinction to newer buildings erected across the United States. Prior to 1970, the tallest building in Pittsburgh, at 44 stories, was the Gulf Building. Now an office complex known as Gulf Tower
, it was the original headquarters of the Gulf Oil Corporation.
The U. S. Steel Tower is architecturally
noted for its triangular shape with indented corners. The building also made history by being the first to use liquid-filled fireproof
ed columns. U. S. Steel deliberately placed the massive steel columns on the exterior of the building to showcase a new product called Cor-ten
steel. Cor-ten resists the corrosive effects of rain, snow, ice, fog, and other meteorological conditions by forming a coating of dark brown oxidation over the metal, which inhibits deeper penetration and doesn't need painting and costly rust-prevention maintenance over the years. The initial weathering of the material resulted in a discoloration of the surrounding city sidewalks, as well as other nearby buildings. A cleanup effort was orchestrated by the corporation once weathering was complete to undo this damage, but the sidewalks still have a decidedly rusty tinge. The Cor-Ten steel for the building was made at the former U. S. Steel Homestead Works
.
Rockwell International Corporation, which had its headquarters in the building until the mid 1980s, displayed a large model of the Rockwell-designed NASA Space Shuttle in the building's lobby until it moved to other facilities.
The tower contains over 44,000 U.S. tons (40,000 metric tons) of structural steel, and almost an acre of office space per floor. Currently the largest tenant of the building is UPMC who occupy 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) of office space within the U.S. Steel Tower.
The U. S. Steel Tower features several redundant systems that have allowed the building to remain free of unplanned service interruptions since it was constructed. It is fed by two redundant water mains, one from Grant Street and one from 7th Avenue. Both are fully maintained and tested annually. There is a fail over system in place, and either main will automatically meet the water demands of the building in the event of a failure. In addition, the building has four redundant water pumps, any one of which can meet the needs of the entire building. The building also has four redundant electrical feeds, which come from several substations.
Finally, the building has fully redundant heating and cooling systems, including two boilers and two air chillers. The heating boilers can burn either natural gas or #2 fuel oil. There is no fail over, but manual adjustment of the system in the event of a supply shortage takes only minutes.
leased several floors of the tower, which now serves as the institution's headquarters, in 2007. To go along with this lease, the company also purchased new signs reading "UPMC" for the top of each three sides of the building. The Pittsburgh Planning Commission approved the 20 feet (6.1 m) signs, and the majority of the letters were installed via helicopter lift on June 7–8, 2008.
, but as of January 2011, it had sat dormant for 19 years.
or the Empire State Building
". This transformation could take the form of a nature park, a gallery space, or some other type of attraction. The High Point Park Investigation is based at Carnegie Mellon University
's STUDIO for Creative Inquiry and has received the endorsement of regional organizations including the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and VisitPittsburgh.com. A 360-degree, gigapixel panorama of the view available from the building's rooftop can be seen at http://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/47373/ or www.gigapanorama.org. As of January 2010, the building's owner had expressed no interest in developing the roof of the tower, but public interest in the potential of such a project has been high.
southeast of the city.
The U. S. Steel Tower makes an appearance in the movie Dogma
and figures prominently in Sudden Death
, Boys on the Side
, Striking Distance
and the 2010 rap video Black and yellow
.
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
s to 841 ft (256.3 m) and has 2300000 sq ft (213,677 m²) of leasable space. Its original name was the U.S. Steel Building for many years before it was changed to USX Tower in 1988. The name was finally changed back to the U.S. Steel Tower in January 2002 to reflect U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
's new corporate identity (USX was the 1990s combined oil/energy/steel conglomerate). Although no longer the owner of the building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
, U.S. Steel is one of the largest tenants
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
, occupying more than a 500000 sq ft (46,451.5 m²) of office space. The building is located at 600 Grant Street, ZIP code 15219.
History
In the planning stages, U. S. Steel executives considered making the building the world's tallest, but settled on 840 ft (256 m) and the distinction of being the tallest building outside New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. However, it eventually lost even that distinction to newer buildings erected across the United States. Prior to 1970, the tallest building in Pittsburgh, at 44 stories, was the Gulf Building. Now an office complex known as Gulf Tower
Gulf Tower
Gulf Tower is one of the major distinctive and recognizable features of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The tower is named for the Gulf Oil Corporation, which was one of the leading multinational oil companies of its time, consistently ranking among the largest 10 corporations in the country...
, it was the original headquarters of the Gulf Oil Corporation.
The U. S. Steel Tower is architecturally
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
noted for its triangular shape with indented corners. The building also made history by being the first to use liquid-filled fireproof
Fireproof
-Track List for Original 2002 Release:# "Fireproof" – 3:46# "Just 2 Get By" – 4:17# "Echelon" – 3:25# "Stay Up" – 3:40# "Behind Closed Doors" – 2:55# "Epidemic" – 3:14# "Hindsight" – 2:57# "Light at My Feet" – 3:28# "A Shame" – 3:17...
ed columns. U. S. Steel deliberately placed the massive steel columns on the exterior of the building to showcase a new product called Cor-ten
Cor-ten
Weathering steel, best-known under the trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as "Corten steel", is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years.United...
steel. Cor-ten resists the corrosive effects of rain, snow, ice, fog, and other meteorological conditions by forming a coating of dark brown oxidation over the metal, which inhibits deeper penetration and doesn't need painting and costly rust-prevention maintenance over the years. The initial weathering of the material resulted in a discoloration of the surrounding city sidewalks, as well as other nearby buildings. A cleanup effort was orchestrated by the corporation once weathering was complete to undo this damage, but the sidewalks still have a decidedly rusty tinge. The Cor-Ten steel for the building was made at the former U. S. Steel Homestead Works
Homestead Steel Works
Homestead Steel Works was a large steel works located on the Monongahela River at Homestead, Pennsylvania in the United States. It developed in the nineteenth century as an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a railway long, and a line of lake steamships...
.
Rockwell International Corporation, which had its headquarters in the building until the mid 1980s, displayed a large model of the Rockwell-designed NASA Space Shuttle in the building's lobby until it moved to other facilities.
The tower contains over 44,000 U.S. tons (40,000 metric tons) of structural steel, and almost an acre of office space per floor. Currently the largest tenant of the building is UPMC who occupy 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) of office space within the U.S. Steel Tower.
Internal systems
Finally, the building has fully redundant heating and cooling systems, including two boilers and two air chillers. The heating boilers can burn either natural gas or #2 fuel oil. There is no fail over, but manual adjustment of the system in the event of a supply shortage takes only minutes.
Signage
The University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is an $9 billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 54,000 employees, 20 hospitals, 4,200 licensed beds, 400 outpatient sites and doctors’ offices, a 1.5 million-member health insurance division, as well as commercial and...
leased several floors of the tower, which now serves as the institution's headquarters, in 2007. To go along with this lease, the company also purchased new signs reading "UPMC" for the top of each three sides of the building. The Pittsburgh Planning Commission approved the 20 feet (6.1 m) signs, and the majority of the letters were installed via helicopter lift on June 7–8, 2008.
Nativity scene
Each year, a famous creche or nativity scene goes on display in the building's courtyard. It is larger than the original nativity, and is the only creche nationally to be authorized by the Vatican.Roof
Unlike many buildings of similar heights, the U.S. Steel Tower does not taper in width from its lower floors to its higher floors. Accordingly, the tower sports the "largest roof in the world at its height or above", at a size of approximately one acre. This flat expanse was once used as a heliportHeliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
, but as of January 2011, it had sat dormant for 19 years.
High Point Park Investigation
An organization known as the High Point Park Investigation http://www.highpointpark.org was formed to explore the possibility of converting the dormant roof of the U.S. Steel Tower into an attraction of some sort—a "pinnacle of perspective where people go to see the view, a signature landmark like the Eiffel TowerEiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
or the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
". This transformation could take the form of a nature park, a gallery space, or some other type of attraction. The High Point Park Investigation is based at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
's STUDIO for Creative Inquiry and has received the endorsement of regional organizations including the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and VisitPittsburgh.com. A 360-degree, gigapixel panorama of the view available from the building's rooftop can be seen at http://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/47373/ or www.gigapanorama.org. As of January 2010, the building's owner had expressed no interest in developing the roof of the tower, but public interest in the potential of such a project has been high.
Sightseeing
On clear days, it is possible to spot the U. S. Steel Tower from as far as 50 miles (80.5 km) away, from the top of Chestnut Ridge in the Laurel HighlandsLaurel Highlands
The Laurel Highlands is a region in southwestern Pennsylvania made up of Fayette County, Somerset County and Westmoreland County. It has a population of about 600,000 people....
southeast of the city.
Fictional portrayals
Dogma (film)
Dogma is a 1999 American adventure fantasy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also stars in the film along with an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Alan Rickman, Bud Cort, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, George Carlin, Janeane Garofalo,...
and figures prominently in Sudden Death
Sudden Death (film)
Sudden Death is a 1995 American action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Powers Boothe. The film's story was written by Karen Elise Baldwin, the wife of then-Penguins owner Howard Baldwin. It also features Dorian Harewood and Raymond J. Barry, and is directed by Peter Hyams. It has been...
, Boys on the Side
Boys on the Side
Boys on the Side is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross . It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Mary-Louise Parker as three friends on a cross-country road trip...
, Striking Distance
Striking Distance
Striking Distance is a 1993 thriller starring Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore as Pittsburgh Police officers pursuing a serial killer. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington and written by Herrington and Marty Kaplan...
and the 2010 rap video Black and yellow
Black and Yellow
"Black and Yellow" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers. It was released on September 14, 2010 as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Wiz Khalifa, and StarGate, and it was produced by StarGate. It was released as a CD single in...
.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Pittsburgh
- List of tallest buildings in the United States
- List of skyscrapers