Gulf Tower

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = Gulf Tower


caption = Gulf Tower, from US Steel Tower
location = 435 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
coordinates =
groundbreaking = 1930
constructed = 1932
opening =
use = Office
roof = convert|582|ft|m|0|abbr=on
top_floor =
floor_count = 44
elevator_count = 15
cost = $10.05 million
floor_area = convert|409320|ft2|m2|0|abbr=on
architect = Trowbridge & Livingston with E. P. Mellon
engineer = McClintic-Marshall Construction Company
contractor = Mellon-Stuart
developer = Andrew W. Mellon
owner =
management =

Gulf Tower is one of the major distinctive and recognizable features of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The tower is named for the Gulf Oil Corporation, which was one of the leading multinational oil companies of its time, consistently ranking among the largest 10 corporations in the country. In 1984, Gulf and Chevron took part in the world's largest merger to that time.

Built as the headquarters for the Gulf Oil Company, and known as the Gulf Building, the structure was designed by the firm of Trowbridge & Livingston and completed in 1932. Now called Gulf Tower, it has 44 floors and rises 582 feet (177 meters) above Downtown Pittsburgh. Its address is 707 Grant Street and it is part of the Grant Street Power Strip in Pittsburgh. The crown of the skyscraper is modeled after the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in the style of a step pyramid.

On June 17th, 1974 - The Weather Underground Organization planted a bomb in the lobby to protest Gulf Oil's actions in Angola, Vietnam, and elsewhere.

Lighting

Prior to the late 1970s, the entire multistory "step-pyramid/mausoleum" structure at the top of the building was neon-illuminated, [http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/wt/html/gulf_building_1930-1932.html changing colors] based on barometric pressure to provide a weather forecast that could be seen for many miles.

Subsequently, however, the weather forecasting role has been limited to the weather beacon at the pinnacle of the pyramid. Although the terraced sides are once again illuminated at night, the entire pyramid structure no longer changes color with the weather (the pinnacle beacon still has that function).

Since 2001, the opening of PNC Park across the Allegheny River, fans have noticed that after Pittsburgh Pirates home-runs, the "beam" light flashes in celebration. Recently it was revealed that the afternoon and evening receptionist at the lobby desk was the one responsible for this fan favorite, following the games on her cabinet radio. The slogan "Flash the beam, Regina -- that one's out of here!" has gained popularity among Pirates fans recently. [http://www.postgazette.com/pg/05164/520648.stm]

References

*cite book | author=Toker, Franklin | title=Buildings of Pittsburgh | location=Pittsburgh | publisher=Chicago: Society of Architectural Historians; Santa Fe: Center for American Places ; Charlottesville: In association with the University of Virginia Press | year=2007 | id=ISBN 0-8139-2650-5

External links

* [http://www.mindmatrix.net/knowlet/knowlet.cfm?action=viewbody&knowletID=923&popup=0&shownext=1&cfid=1487060&cftoken=26281581&rootknowletID=923&CFID=1487060&CFTOKEN=26281581/ Gulf Tower Homepage]
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=gulfbuilding-pittsburgh-pa-usa Gulf Tower at Emporis.com]
* [http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/portal/tourism05.html Gulf Tower description on the City of Pittsburgh tour page]