ON THIS DAY: Jan. 28, 1981, PPG Place construction started

PITTSBURGH — On Jan. 28, 1981, the “crown jewel” in Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle skyline broke ground as part of the city’s “Renaissance II” period. It is the third tallest building in the city.

PPG Place would eventually occupy 5 ½ acres adjacent to downtown’s historic Market Square and serve as the company’s headquarters. Offices would start opening just 2 ½ years after construction began.

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Internationally renowned architect Philip Johnson worked with John Burgee Architects to design a complex centered on a neo-Gothic 40-story office tower glazed with 19,750 pieces of glass measuring about 1 million square feet. The high-performance neutral silver glass, made by PPG of course, reflects solar heat gain in summer while minimizing the need for artificial light and air conditioning.

There are five other buildings in the complex, surrounding a one-acre plaza with a large water feature and an obelisk known by some as the “Tomb of the Unknown Bowler” due to the four large black balls that support it.

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Since 2001, the central plaza has transformed into a skating rink 67 percent larger than New York’s famed Rockefeller Center rink in winter months.

The complex also boasts a Wintergarden that serves as a year-round oasis of green on the west side of the main tower.

PPG Place has a total of 231 spires, rising as high as 82 feet on the corners of the main tower, that are intended to connect Pittsburgh’s architectural heritage, such as the Allegheny County Courthouse and Cathedral of Learning, to the newer gleaming high-rise buildings downtown.

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OTD: Jan 28 - PPG Place OTD: Jan 28 - PPG Place

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