List of tallest buildings in Pittsburgh

Skyline of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, is home to 135 completed high-rises,^[1] 29 of which stand at least 300 feet (91 m) tall. The tallest building in Pittsburgh is the 64-story U.S. Steel Tower, which rises 841 feet (256 m) and was completed in 1970.^[2] It also stands as the fourth-tallest building in Pennsylvania and the 43rd-tallest building in the United States. The second-tallest skyscraper in the city is BNY Mellon Center, which rises 725 feet (221 m).^[3]

The history of skyscrapers in Pittsburgh began with the 1895 completion of the Carnegie Building; this structure, rising 13 floors, was the first steel-framed skyscraper to be constructed in the city.^[4][5] It never held the title of tallest structure in the city, however, as it did not surpass the 249-foot (76 m) tower of the Allegheny County Courthouse, which was completed in 1888.^[6] The Carnegie Building was later demolished in 1952 to make way for an expansion of a Kaufmann's (now Macy's) department store.^[7] Pittsburgh experienced a large building boom from the late 1960s to the late 1980s. During this time, 12 of the city's 21 tallest building were constructed, including the city's three tallest structures, the U.S. Steel Tower, BNY Mellon Center, and PPG Place. The city is the site of 10 skyscrapers at least 492 feet (150 m) in height, of which two rank among the tallest in the United States. As of 2014, the skyline of Pittsburgh is ranked 18th in the United States and 77th in the world with 25 buildings rising at least 330 feet (100 m) in height.^[8]

Unlike many other major American cities, Pittsburgh was the site of relatively few skyscraper construction projects in the 2000s decade. The most recently completed skyscraper in the city is Three PNC Plaza, which rises 344 feet (105 m) in height and was completed in 2009. As of 2013, the largest high-rise development under construction in Pittsburgh is the 545-foot (166 m) Tower at PNC Plaza, which is expected to be complete by 2015. Overall, as of May 2014, there were five high-rise buildings under construction or proposed for construction in Pittsburgh.^[1]

Skyline of Pittsburgh viewed from Mount Washington

Tallest buildings

This list ranks Pittsburgh skyscrapers that stand at least 300 feet (91 m) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.

Rank	Name	Image	Height ft / m	Floors	Year	Notes
1	U.S. Steel Tower		841 / 256	64	1970	43rd-tallest building in the United States, 4th tallest in Pennsylvania. Has been the tallest building in the city since 1970, and was the tallest building in the state from 1970 until the 1987 completion of One Liberty Place in Philadelphia. Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1970s. Known as the USX Tower between 1986 and 2000.[2][9]
2	BNY Mellon Center		725 / 221	54	1983	103rd tallest building in the U.S. Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1980s. Formerly known as One Mellon Center.[3][10]
3	One PPG Place		635 / 194	40	1984	[11][12]
4	Fifth Avenue Place		616 / 188	31	1988	[13][14]
5	One Oxford Centre		615 / 187	45	1983	[15][16]
6	Gulf Tower		582 / 177	44	1932	Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1930s.[17][18]
7	Tower at PNC Plaza		545 / 166	33	2015	Opened October 2, 2015.[19][20][21]
8	Cathedral of Learning		535 / 163	42	1936	Second-tallest university building in the world, behind the main building of Moscow State University. Tallest building in the city located outside of Downtown.[22][23]
9	525 William Penn Place		520 / 158	41	1951	Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1950s.[24][25]
10	K&L Gates Center		511 / 156	39	1968	Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1960s Formerly known as One Oliver Plaza.[26][27]
11	Grant Building		485 / 148	40	1929	[28][29]
12	Koppers Tower		475 / 145	34	1929	Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1920s.[30][31]
13	Two PNC Plaza		445 / 136	34	1975	[32][33]
14	EQT Plaza		430 / 131	32	1987	[34][35]
15	One PNC Plaza		424 / 129	30	1972	[36][37]
16	Regional Enterprise Tower		410 / 125	30	1953	First skyscraper with an all-aluminum facade. Formerly known as the Alcoa Building.[38][39]
17	Three PNC Plaza		361 / 110	23	2009	Tallest building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 2000s.[40]
18	Federated Tower		358 / 109	27	1982	[41][42]
19	11 Stanwix Street		355 / 108	23	1969	Formerly known as the Westinghouse Tower.[43][44]
20	Oliver Building		347 / 106	25	1910	Tallest existing building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1910s.[45][46]
21	Three Gateway Center		344 / 105	24	1952	[47][48]
22	Centre City Tower	-	341 / 104	26	1971	[49][50]
23	William S. Moorhead Federal Building		340 / 104	23	1964	[51][52]
24	Bell Telephone Building		339 / 103	20	1923	[53][54]
25	Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown		333 / 102	22	1959	Tallest hotel building in the city. Formerly operated as a Hilton property.[55][56]
26	Frick Building		330 / 101	20	1902	Tallest existing building constructed in Pittsburgh in the 1900s.[57][58]
27	Four Gateway Center		305 / 93	22	1960	[59][60]
28=	City View		300 / 91	24	1964	Formerly known as Washington Plaza.[61][62]
28=	Commonwealth Building	-	300 / 91	21	1906	[63][64]
28=	The Carlyle		300 / 91	21	1906	[65]

• indicates building is still under construction, but has been topped out

Timeline of tallest buildings

This list shows chronologically the buildings that held the title of tallest building in Pittsburgh.

Name	Image	Street address	Years as tallest	Height ft / m	Floors	Reference
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral		328 Sixth Avenue	1872–1888	200 / 61	N/A	[66]
Allegheny County Courthouse		436 Grant Street	1888–1902	249 / 76	5	[6]
Farmers Bank Building[A]		301 Fifth Avenue	1902–1910	344 / 105	27	[67]
Oliver Building		535 Smithfield Street	1910–1912	347 / 106	25	[46]
First National Bank Building[B]		511 Wood Street at Fifth Avenue	1912–1928	387 / 118	26	[68]
Grant Building		330 Grant Street	1928–1932	485 / 148	40	[29]
Gulf Building		707 Grant Street	1932–1970	582 / 177	44	[18]
U.S. Steel Tower		600 Grant Street	1970–present	841 / 256	64	[9]

Tallest destroyed

This list ranks Pittsburgh skyscrapers that stood at least 300 feet (91 m) tall but have since been demolished or destroyed.

See also

• Architecture of Pittsburgh

Notes

A. ^{^} This building was demolished in 1997 due to lack of tenants.^[73]

B. ^{^} This building was demolished in 1970 to make room for One PNC Plaza.^[74]

References

General

• Emporis.com - Pittsburgh

Specific

External links

• Diagram of Pittsburgh skyscrapers on SkyscraperPage

Further reading

• Six page Pittsburgh Post-Gazette feature on some of the city's iconic skyscrapers
• Who owns the sky? news feature
• 1982 news feature on city's skyscraper boom
• News feature

Pittsburgh History Timeline Culture Neighborhoods Notable people Skyscrapers Dialect Media   Government Airport Conventions City Hall Courthouse Mayor Council Events InterGov Police D.A. Sheriff Fire Libraries Transit Education Port Regional   Economy Allegheny Conference Duquesne Club Chamber of Commerce Economic Club HYP Club Stock Exchange Fortune 500 headquarters US Steel PNC PPG Heinz Mylan WESCO Consol Dick's Allegheny Technologies Forbes' largest 84 Lumber Giant Eagle Other headquarters American Bridge American Eagle Ampco Ansys Armstrong Black Box Calgon Carbon ChemAdvisor Compunetix Dollar Bank DQE Eat'n Park Education Management Corporation EQT Federated GNC Guru.com Highmark II-VI IGATE Iron City Kennametal Koppers Laughlin MARC USA Millcraft MSA Niche.com Oxford PTC Renda rue21 UPMC Vocelli Wabtec Shared headquarters Alcoa ModCloth Nova Chemicals Subsidiary headquarters Allegheny Energy Bayer USA FedEx Ground GlaxoSmithKline USA Lanxess Respironics Vivisimo Westinghouse Regional operations AA BNY Mellon (formerly Mellon Financial) Dreyfus Eaton Spreadshirt Macy's Historic Big Wheel Clark Dravo Fisher Integra Mesta Murphy Gulf Oil J&L Ketchum Rockwell Sunbeam Westinghouse   Sports Dapper Dan Grand Prix Great Race Head of the Ohio Lore Marathon Mylan Classic Regatta WPHL Baseball Pirates Wild Things Panthers Dukes Chronicle-Telegraph Cup Allegheny Burghers Champions Crawfords Grays Hardhats Keystones Stogies Rebels Basketball Yellow Jackets Panthers Lady Panthers Dukes Lady Dukes Colonials Lady Colonials Roundball Classic Condors Ironmen Loendi Monticello Phantoms Pipers Piranhas Pirates Rens Xplosion Football Steelers Panthers Steeler Nation heritage Colts Force Passion Renegades Allegheny Americans A's Duquesne Gladiators Homestead Lyceum Maulers Power Odds Olympics Quakers JP Stars Early Pro Football Circuit Hockey Penguins Colonials Lady Colonials Bandits Three Rivers Classic A's Bankers Cougars Duquesne Ft. Pitt Hornets Keystones Lyceum Panthers Phantoms Pirates Pirates (WPHL) Pros Shamrocks Victorias Winter Garden Yellow Jackets Soccer Riverhounds Beadling Cannons Hurricanes Phantoms Spirit Other Sledgehammers Bulls Harlequins PCC Triangles Wallabies Venues Consol Center Heinz Field PNC Park Highmark Stadium Fitzgerald Field House Island Center Palumbo Center Petersen Events Center Petersen Sports Complex Rooney Field Sewall Center Trees Hall Central Park Civic Arena Duquesne Gardens Exposition Park Forbes Field Josh Gibson Field Greenlee Field Motor Square Garden Pitt Stadium Recreation Park Schenley Gardens Three Rivers Winter Garden   Parks Arboretum Arsenal ArtGardens Biblical Garden Buhl Clemente Cliffside Curto Firstside Frick Emerald View Highland Market Square McKinley Mellon Mellon Green Mellon Square Phillips Point Point of View PPG Place Riverfront Riverview Schenley Schenley Plaza South Side Three Rivers West West End Overlook Westinghouse   Transportation Inclines Steps Port Authority of Allegheny County Light rail (List of stations) Blue Line – Library Blue Line – South Hills Village Red Line Inclines (Historical list) Duquesne Incline Monongahela Incline Buses and busways (List of routes) Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway South Busway West Busway Former lines 47 Drake Brown Line PATrain Skybus Other North Shore Connector Port Authority 4000 Series PCC Wabash Tunnel Public transportation in Greater Pittsburgh Bus services Port Authority of Allegheny County list of bus routes Beaver Butler Fayette IndiGO Mid Mon Valley Mountain Line New Castle Town & Country University of Pittsburgh Washington Westmoreland Bus rapid transit MLK Jr. East Busway South Busway West Busway Light rail Red Line Blue Line Library South Hills Village Inclines Duquesne Monongahela Amtrak Capitol Limited Pennsylvanian Airports Pittsburgh International Arnold Palmer Allegheny County Beaver Butler Eddie Dew Greensburg Jeannette Herron Jefferson Jimmy Stewart Joe Hardy Lakehill Monroeville New Castle Rock Rostraver Washington Wheeling Zelienople Discontinued Broadway Limited Brown Line List of streetcar routes in Pittsburgh Parkway Limited PATrain Skybus Tunnels and bridges in Pittsburgh Tunnels Allegheny River Tunnel Armstrong Tunnel Cork Run Tunnel Corliss Tunnel Fort Pitt Tunnel J&L Tunnel Liberty Tunnel Mount Washington Transit Tunnel Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel Pittsburgh & Steubenville Extension Railroad Tunnel Schenley Tunnel Squirrel Hill Tunnel Wabash Tunnel Bridges 16th Street Bridge 30th Street Bridge 31st Street Bridge 33rd Street Railroad Bridge 40th Street Bridge Bloomfield Bridge Birmingham Bridge Fort Duquesne Bridge Fort Pitt Bridge Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge Glenwood Bridge Glenwood B&O Railroad Bridge Highland Park Bridge Homestead Grays Bridge Hot Metal Bridge Liberty Bridge McKees Rocks Bridge Panhandle Bridge Panther Hollow Bridge Schenley Bridge Senator Robert D. Fleming Bridge Smithfield Street Bridge South Tenth Street Bridge Three Sisters Roberto Clemente Bridge Andy Warhol Bridge Rachel Carson Bridge Veterans Bridge West End Bridge   Attractions Aviary Baywood Cathedral of Learning Chinatown Conservatory Dippy Immaculate Heart Duquesne Incline Heinz Chapel Little Italy Mellon Institute Mon Incline Observatory Pamela's Penn Station Primanti's Science Center Steps USS Requin Zoo Luna Park Westinghouse Sign Landmarks National (City) National (County) State City PHLF Cultural Museums Art Arts Arts Festival Bible Fort Pitt & Blockhouse Clayton Clemente Children's Frick Glass Center History Jazz Jewish Mattress Factory Dental Mendelson Miller Miss Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms National Map Natural History Soldiers & Sailors Warhol Wilson WSG Venues Heinz Hall Benedum Byham Harris Kelly-Strayhorn New Hazlett O'Reilly Foster Playhouse Trib Hunt Stage AE Syria Mosque Nixon Theater Festivals Anthrocon Arts Blues Comicon Fashion Film Folk Handmade New Works Tekko Whiskey & Fine Spirits Wine   Shopping and entertainment Casino Gateway Clipper Fleet Station Square Strip Downtown Oakland South Side Macy's Market Square Southside Works Waterworks Mount Washington East Liberty Squirrel Hill Shadyside Walnut Street Opera Ballet Symphony Brass Classical Theatre Dance Ensemble Caravan Theatre Folk Light Opera Opera Theater Jewish Theatre Public Theater Playwrights Musical Theater Stage Right Youth Ballet Youth Symphony Bricolage NNOC Pittsburgh shopping Enclosed Beaver Valley Mall Century III Mall The Galleria of Mt. Lebanon The Mall at Robinson Monroeville Mall Pittsburgh Mills Ross Park Mall The Shoppes at Northway South Hills Village Station Square Uniontown Mall Warner Centre Washington Crown Center Westmoreland Mall Lifestyle / Outdoor Bakery Square Edgewood Towne Centre Ellsworth Avenue McCandless Crossing Northern Lights Robinson Town Centre Settlers Ridge SouthSide Works Walnut Street The Waterfront Waterworks Mall Outlet Grove City Premium Outlets Tanger Outlets Pittsburgh Defunct Allegheny Center Mall East Hills Shopping Center (Eastgate Commerce Center) Eastland Mall Greengate Mall Parkway Center Mall Village Square Mall Washington Mall   Colleges and universities Pitt Carnegie Mellon Duquesne Robert Morris Chatham Point Park Carlow Art Institute Byzantine Catholic Seminary Pittsburgh Theological Seminary St. Paul Seminary CCAC   Culture of Pittsburgh Cookie table Jewish history Iron City Brewing Company Jagoff Joe Magarac Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Mr. Yuk Parking chairs Pittsburgh left Pittsburgh toilet Robot Hall of Fame Steeler Nation Book Portal Category