Regional Enterprise Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alcoa Building |
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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°W |
| Construction started | 1950 |
| Completed | 1953 |
| Owner | PMC Property Group |
| Management | PMC Property Group |
| Height | |
| Roof | 410 ft (120 m) |
| Top floor | 396 ft (121 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 31 |
| Lifts/elevators | 25 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Harrison & Abramovitz |
| Main contractor | George A. Fuller |
| Designated: | 2004 |
The Alcoa Building is a tall skyscraper in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is also called the Regional Enterprise Tower. This building was finished in 1953 and has 31 floors. It stands about 410 feet (125 meters) tall. It is the 15th tallest building in Pittsburgh. It is right next to Mellon Square.
The Alcoa Building has some very unique features! For example, it has a special heating and cooling system in its ceiling. This means there are no pipes or air conditioners along the outside walls. This design added an extra 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters) of space that could be rented out. Also, its windows can spin all the way around (360 degrees). This makes it easy to wash them from inside the building.
A Building Made of Aluminum
The Alcoa Building was first built to be the main office for the Aluminum Company of America, known as ALCOA. This is why the building has special aluminum walls. These walls are only about 1/8 of an inch thick. This made the building very light and cost-effective to build. It was the first skyscraper ever made with an outside covered entirely in aluminum.
In 2001, ALCOA moved its main office to a new building. This new building is on Pittsburgh's North Shore, near PNC Park. After ALCOA moved, the old Alcoa Building became home to many different groups. These include government offices, local non-profit groups, and new small businesses.
The Old Nixon Theater Site
Before the Alcoa Building was built, a famous theater stood on this spot. It was called the Nixon Theater. This theater was open from 1903 until 1950. It was built by Samuel F. Nixon-Nirdlinger and Senator George T. Oliver. When it first opened, people called it the "world's most perfect playhouse."
The Nixon Theater was a very fancy building. It had a beautiful Beaux Arts style with a large dome on top. Inside, it looked like a palace from the time of King Louis XV. It had huge columns that looked like marble and were topped with solid gold. The walls looked like fancy silk, framed in green, gold, and red. Velvet and silk drapes added to the rich look.
Big shows were held there. For example, a play called Ben Hur in 1905 used four horse-drawn chariots on stage! Another play, Garden of Allah, needed camels, horses, goats, and 50 camel drivers.
When the site was sold to Alcoa in 1950, many people protested. They did not want the theater to be torn down. The famous actress Katharine Hepburn even wrote to the city. She said, "I'm infuriated, The new skyscraper will be just another building -- maybe fascinating, but not glamorous." Sadly, the theater was still torn down to make way for the new Alcoa Building.
A smaller theater also used the Nixon Theater name until 1976. It was at 956 Liberty Avenue. This theater had opened in 1914 and had other names before. It was renamed and updated in 1950. In the 1950s and early 1960s, it showed family-friendly plays. It closed its doors in 1976.
New Life for the Building
In 2015, a company called PMC Property Group started a big project. They got a $40 million loan to update the Alcoa Building. Their plan was to add 241 new apartments. They also kept 133,000 square feet (12,356 square meters) for office space. Plus, they added 6,200 square feet (576 square meters) for shops and restaurants. The new apartments started renting out in March 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Regional Enterprise Tower para niños
