Doors Open Pittsburgh: Skinny Version
by Joshua Tarquinio
I went to Doors Open Pittsburgh and here’s the skinny version of my three-hour tour.
First stop was PPG One where a docent in the lobby gave us a bit of history. I learned the building’s glass reflects heat in the summer and retains it in the winter. It’s 43 floors and 635 feet tall. The total of spires on all the PPG Place buildings is 231.
On the 31st floor lives the coworking/rental office space of Industrious. Not a bad view in the house. They told us a bit about what they do and allowed us a walk around the entire floor.
Next, I visited the Benedum Trees building at 223 Fourth Avenue. The structure was one of the first skyscrapers in America to be built and owned by a woman. Today, the building is home to private businesses which were all closed, so I couldn’t see much more than the lobby, but the docent was entertaining.
The Dollar Bank building was a real treat. They did an immaculate job preserving and presenting their history with old books, info graphics, and tools of the trade of yore.
The City County Building was like three stops in one. First, I went up to floor 9 and the Allegheny Law Library. The library is open to the public for study, but costs $105/year to be able to check out.
On the fifth floor, I was directed to the mayor’s office, which contains a combination of classic and neoclassical décor. A set of doors inside opens to a conference room, at the end of which hangs a painting of William Pitt.
In a long hallway hang the portraits of every mayor of Pittsburgh with little info blurbs below.
Last stop in the City County Building was the Council Chamber, which I found opulent, but not overly showy. The details seem almost hidden in the woodwork. The longer you look, the more you see.
Finally, I reached the Union Trust building, just as the tours were ending for the day. A vibrant blue carpet flows like a river from one of the four entrances to the center rotunda. Look up from there to see the stained-glass dome ten stories up. My picture doesn’t do it justice. The docent related that the first four floors began as an arcade of shops but wasn’t profitable enough.
Three hours was how long it took to see five buildings, but I had my pick of thirty-five altogether. I could’ve seen the courthouse, the playhouse, the Arcade Comedy Theater, and, and, and you get the idea.
Visit www.doorsopenpgh.org for a lot more information and follow them on the social media platform of your preference. They do tours all the time, so you haven’t missed your chance.
Joshua Tarquinio is an author and the co-creator of the Mr. Bones arts and entertainment video magazine. He has been working in media production since 2006.
