Bellefield Hall
By Crazypaco - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Location:
315 S Bellefield Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Description:
Bellefield Hall is a distinguished Italianate-style landmark designed by architect Benno Janssen and completed in the mid-1920s. Originally constructed from 1924 to 1926, the building was commissioned as the Oakland branch of the Young Men’s and Women’s Hebrew Association and opened in 1926. Its design blends the architectural elements of an Italian palazzo with features inspired by the Lee House at Stratford, and its main entrance is adorned with lanterns forged by renowned ironworker Samuel Yellin. Bellefield Hall is recognized as both a Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms Historic District.
Now fully owned by the University of Pittsburgh, the 110,000‑square‑foot structure houses a diverse mix of facilities. It supports the Department of Music with rehearsal rooms, classrooms, graduate offices, the William R. Robinson Digital Recording Studio, and a 676‑seat auditorium that has hosted debut performances by artists such as Arthur Rubinstein, Isaac Stern, and Jean‑Pierre Rampal. In addition to its academic and performance spaces, Bellefield Hall features a gymnasium with a single basketball court, a fitness center (expanded in the mid‑2000s), and an indoor lap pool on the ground floor, along with locker rooms and showers. The Collegiate YMCA also maintains a presence within the building.
Students who use the gym and pool must scan their student ID for access. The locker rooms have been noted to require rentals for transient lockers. According to student accounts, the fitness area offers approximately six to eight treadmills and a similar number of ellipticals. The pool is a shared lane-style facility that tends to be uncrowded but chlorinated. For those seeking informal dance or rehearsal space, several aerobic or multipurpose rooms are available on the second and fourth floors; some open common areas feature mirrors and may be accessible without reservation when not in use by groups such as the FRESA student ensemble.
