Radiant ceiling cooling system
Introduction
The Alcoa Building (also known as Regional Enterprise Tower) is a 120-meter-high skyscraper located in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was completed in 1953 and has 31 floors. It is the fifteenth tallest building in the city[1] and is located next to Mellon Square. It was designed by the architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz.[2] The roof contains a unique radiant heating and cooling system: since there are no pipes, radiators or air conditioning units along the exterior walls, an additional 1,400 m² of rentable space was obtained.[2] Additionally, the windows rotate 360 degrees so that they can be washed from the inside.[3].
It was originally the headquarters of the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa). The building's aluminum walls are 1/8 inch thick, giving it a lightweight and economical design.[2] It was the first skyscraper with an all-aluminum façade. Following Alcoa's relocation in 2001 to a new headquarters building on Pittsburgh's North Shore near PNC Park Stadium, the former Alcoa Building became home to government entities, regional nonprofit organizations, and small business startups, including RIDC.[4] In 2016, the top half of the building (floors 14 to 31) was converted to apartments, known as The Residences at the Historic Alcoa Building.[5].
• - Annex: Tallest buildings in Pittsburgh.
• - Annex: Tallest buildings in Pennsylvania.
References
- [1] ↑ «Pittsburgh | Statistics | EMPORIS». www.emporis.com. Consultado el 10 de diciembre de 2020.: https://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings/city/101313/pittsburgh-pa-usa
- [2] ↑ a b c «Regional Enterprise Tower, Pittsburgh | 121934 | EMPORIS». www.emporis.com. Consultado el 10 de diciembre de 2020.: https://www.emporis.com/buildings/121934/regional-enterprise-tower-pittsburgh-pa-usa
- [3] ↑ "Aluminum Skyscraper" Popular Mechanics, December 1953, pp. 86-87.: https://books.google.com/books?id=C9wDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA86&dqf=true#v=onepage&q&f=true
- [4] ↑ Daparma, Ron (27 de noviembre de 2008), «CMU-Pitt official moving to development nonprofit», Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh, PA) .: http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_600412.html#axzz2jUu0Yoiq
- [5] ↑ «The Residences at the Historic Alcoa Building | PMC Property Group Apartments». www.pmcpropertygroup.com. Consultado el 16 de septiembre de 2025.: https://www.pmcpropertygroup.com/corporate/case-study/residences-historic-alcoa-building