Gulf Tower
The Gulf Tower is a 44-story, 177.4 m (582 ft) Art Deco skyscraper in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The tower is one of the major distinctive and recognizable features of the city and is named for the Gulf Oil Corporation.
| Gulf Tower | |
|---|---|
Gulf Tower, from US Steel Tower | |
| Record height | |
| Tallest in Pennsylvania from 1932 to 1971[I] | |
| Preceded by | Philadelphia City Hall |
| Surpassed by | U.S. Steel Tower |
| General information | |
| Type | Offices |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 707 Grant Street Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°26′33″N 79°59′43″W |
| Construction started | 1930 |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Cost | US$10.05 million ($183.3 million today) |
| Height | |
| Roof | 177.4 m (582 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 44 |
| Floor area | 409,320 sq ft (38,027 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 15 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Trowbridge & Livingston Edward Mellon |
| Developer | Andrew W. Mellon |
| Structural engineer | McClintic-Marshall Construction Company |
| Main contractor | Mellon-Stuart |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | Steel Plaza |
| Website | |
| rrpittsburgh | |
Pittsburgh Landmark – PHLF | |
| Designated | 1973 |
| References | |
Built as the headquarters for the Gulf Oil Company, the structure was designed by the firm of Trowbridge & Livingston and completed in 1932 at a cost of $10.05 million ($183.3 million today). As late as 1981 Gulf Oil employed 3,100 within the building. Now called Gulf Tower, it has 44 floors and rises 177.4 m (582 ft) above downtown Pittsburgh. The crown of the skyscraper is modeled after the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in the style of a step pyramid. The building was listed as a Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark in 1973.
On June 13, 1974, a bomb was detonated on the 29th floor of the Gulf Tower. The Weather Underground Organization took credit for the attack, claiming it was in protest to Gulf Oil's involvement in the oil rich regions affected by the Angolan War of Independence.
The building was condemned following a fire on May 19, 2021, reopening after repairs six months later.