Regional Enterprise Tower
| Regional Enterprise Tower | |
|---|---|
 |
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| General information | |
| Type | Residential, Office, Retail |
| Location | 425 6th Avenue |
| Coordinates | 40°26′29″N 79°59′49″W / 40.44139°N 79.99694°WCoordinates: 40°26′29″N 79°59′49″W / 40.44139°N 79.99694°W |
| Completed | 1953 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 410 ft (120 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 31 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Harrison & Abramovitz |
| Main contractor | George A. Fuller |
| Designated | 2004 |
The Regional Enterprise Tower is a 410-foot-tall (120 m) skyscraper in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formerly known as the Alcoa Building. It was completed in 1953 and has 30 floors. It is the 15th tallest building in the city and is adjacent to Mellon Square. A unique radiant heating and cooling system is contained in the ceiling: since there are no pipes, radiators, or air conditioning units along the exterior walls, an additional 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) of rentable space was gained. Also, the windows rotate 360 degrees so they can be washed from the inside.
Originally the headquarters for the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), the unique aluminum walls of the building are 1/8 inch thick, which gives the building a very light weight and economical design. It was the first skyscraper with an all-aluminum facade. Upon ALCOA's 2001 relocation to a new headquarters building on Pittsburgh's North Shore near PNC Park, the old ALCOA building became a home to government entities, regional nonprofits and small start-up companies including the RIDC.
From December 7, 1903 until April 29, 1950 the site of the Regional Enterprise Tower was home to the original incarnation of the Nixon Theater built by Samuel F. Nixon-Nirdlinger and Senator George T. Oliver. On opening night it was described as the "world's most perfect playhouse". An ornate Beaux Arts structure, crowned by a large dome it was arguably the most opulent theater in city history. S. Trevor Hadly in Only in Pittsburgh describes that the interior "was in the Louis XVth style. Inside were massive imitation Parawazza marble columns capped with solid gold. ... The side walls were paneled to look like damask silk ... framed in a molding and styling of green, gold, and red. Velvet and silk draperies added profusely to the décor." Productions such as the 1905 staging of Ben Hur used four horse-drawn chariots while Garden of Allah "called for a herd of camels, horses, and goats and 50 camel drivers." The sale of the site to Alcoa in 1950 was met with protests, with actress Katharine Hepburn writing to the city before demolition: "I'm infuriated, The new skyscraper will be just another building -- maybe fascinating, but not glamorous."
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