Overview
Since World War II, many buildings emerged from the city skyline, but came crashing to the ground unfortunately over time for different reasons. That being said, the IBM building is such a lucky one that survives time. This week we will renew our introduction of stainless steel applications in architecture through the case of the IBM Building.
Background Information
Before introducing the IBM building it’s worth mentioning the Gateway Center project, with which it is quite related. Since early 1930s leaders in Pittsburgh had outlined a vision for urban renewal which could improve the transportation and bring new look to the city ravaged by world war II.
The polluted air, sewage contained water, rats, poorly built & ill-maintained homes and constant floods in the Golden Triangle constituted the dilapidated image of Pittsburgh. These hostile factors devalued the urban property and led to the consideration of relocation of their Pittsburgh-based operations by several large corporations like Alcoa, Westinghouse and U.S. Steel to New York.
In 1939, the "Moses Plan" aimed for transportation improvement with new bridges and highways was introduced, but it was not until 1940s when an ambitious proposal initiated by Mayor Lawrence and banking magnate Richard Mellon to completely reconstruct the landscape near the Point, east of Stanwix Street was signed with the authority.
The plan was to turn Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle into a 36-acre state park and a 23-acre complex of gleaming new office towers, known as the Gateway Center complex. In 1949, the New York insurer Equitable Life Assurance Society agreed to buy the 23-acres east of the park and build 11 office buildings, known as Gateway Center, after securing lease agreements with major corporations such as Westinghouse, Mellon Financial and others.
The first 3 Gateway Center towers, all sheathed in stainless steel were completed in 1952, known as Equitable Plaza. By 1960, the 4th building, along with the Hilton Hotel (now the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh) were finished. Due to the lower-than-expected occupancy, the 11-building plan were deserted after the construction of the above four Gateway buildings.
The left land was covered by other buildings, such as the residential Gateway Towers, the IBM Building, the Bell-Telephone Building, the Westinghouse Building and the State Office Building. All together, these nine skyscrapers, the underground parking lot and the open plazas completed the Gateway Center project in reality.
The IBM Building
The 13-story IBM Building, now renamed as United Steelworkers Building, is located in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. Designed by New Orleans architects Curtis & Davis, the building was constructed during year 1961 and 1963 with geometric façade, inspired by the old computer punch cards. It was one of these early iconic steel-skeleton construction projects in 1960s.
Stainless Steel Applied in the IBM Building
Featured with the stainless steel diamond lattice structure and solid central core, the IBM building necessitates neither exterior columns, nor corner columns, nor interior columns. It has become a typical alternative to the non-bearing curtain wall in the field of architecture.
The exterior diamond lattice gives aesthetic form and desired function. The welded stainless steel web of these 13-story structure is made from 3 different steels to resist the increasing loads from the top down. The web is designed to serve both as the structure and a sunscreen for the interior. With the floor, wall, and elevator loads all supported by a central core, the open interior stretches up to 54 feet with the highest possible internal flexibility.
Stainless Steel at CIVMATS
Stainless steel as the building material can enlarge the internal space, reduce after-built maintenance work and meanwhile create aesthetic appeals. Though the design of the IBM building is criticized outdated for the postwar period image of the honeycomb exterior, it stands in time. For instance, another IBM building in Honolulu, Hawaii with similar appearance chose to keep its honeycomb façade and structure even though it went through renovations and repairs.
At CIVMATS, we manufacture and export high-quality stainless steel materials. Stainless steel shapes, dimensions and finishes are all customizable per your specific project requirements. Choose CIVMATS, choose reliability and sustainability.
