The Steel Building the way it should be - without the UPMC logo!
The U.S. Steel Tower (aka the Steel Building) is a major part of Pittsburgh’s identity. It has been the tallest skyscraper in the Burgh’s skyline since 1970.
On June 2nd, President Obama was at Carnegie Mellon University for an important address on the economy. During his speech, the President mentioned Pittsburgh’s beloved Steel Building, and the four letters that have been polluting everyone’s view of downtown since early 2008.
Who would’ve thought that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s logo would one day adorn the U.S. Steel Tower?
This speech was heard all over the world, and it was free advertising for UPMC. Every time someone on Mount Washington takes a picture of our beautiful city, the photo serves as free advertising for UPMC as well. It got us thinking about the situation and that boring sign.
Some facts:
- UPMC does not own the Steel Building
- It is not called the UPMC Building or UPMC Tower
- It is the 35th tallest building in America
- The building is 64 stories tall
- U.S. Steel is the largest tenant in the building
- UPMC, a nonprofit company, paid $750,000 for the sign
- The UPMC letters are on all three sides of the building
- Each letter is about 20 feet tall
- The Pittsburgh Planning Commission actually rejected the sign once
- Two weeks later, the vote was passed, granting permission to erect the sign
- UPMC top executives have offices in the “penthouse” of the building
Take the poll:
Ok, now what?
It’s no secret that Pittsburghers hate that damn sign, but we feel like there’s nothing we can do about it, so we just try our best to ignore it. Well, there is something we can do about it!
Boring Pittsburgh is putting together a photo gallery of the Steel Building the way it’s supposed to be. Send us your pictures from before the letters were installed, and newer pics with the logo edited out ! We’ll post them for you here in the “No UPMC on the Steel Building Museum”.
Pittsburgh's beautiful skyline without advertising
The U.S. Steel Tower overlooking the Civic Arena...
Looking up at a beautiful Steel Building without the UPMC logo
Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel Tower 64 stories into the sky... No UPMC
The second most beautiful skyline in the world... without the UPMC logo
U.S. Steel Tower with UPMC logo edited
Pittsburgh's Steel Building with UPMC edited out
Life Flight helicopter pics submitted by Dave R:
Life Flight helicopter flying by the Steel Building with UPMC letter blocked
Life Flight helicopter flying by the Steel Building blocking the UPMC letters
Send us your pics! And please send this gallery to anyone you know who hates that damn sign!
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You guys are awesome! After 2 years, I still can’t get used to that “damn sign”.
Haha, thank you Chelsea!
Voted no. I never knew that building was a triangle. weird.
I admire the Steel Tower everytime I go into Pittsburgh. Just imagine if they opened up the roof for tours and had a restaurant in the penthouse instead of executive offices.
They DO have a restaurant. Every first Tuesday(or Thursday?) of the month the UPMC execs have the most expensive food from around the world there. So ya, you don’t get it, but there’s a restaurant:) Several sources within the tower confirmed this to us but we could never find out more. Afew months ago UPMC hired a chef for something like $140k/year or something insane. Once again, never figured out who they got, just they had the job out there.
There was a restaurant on the top floor until 2001 or so – it was called “Top of the Triangle.”
Did you ever eat there?
Nope. I heard it was not all that good – and quite pricey of course. It seems that restaurants in high places with views are almost never all that great – the Grandview Ave/Mt Washington restaurants come to mind.
Some people actually voted that they like it?
Really?
Trolls. Can’t escape ‘em.
The worst part is that now everyone has to have their name on a building…K&L Gates, Reed Smith, EQT and on and on. Our skyline looks like a traffic jam.
Reminds me of the “Three Rivers Stadium” becoming “Heinz Field” with a big ketchup logo! And “Civic Arena” being turned into the “Mellon Arena”.
that building is incredible and constructed entirely from pittsburgh steel i think.
I actually have pictures of them putting the sign up by helicopter
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6482/photo2an.jpg
http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/5417/photogzm.jpg
That looks crazy!!
i tried posting em but i guess i cant =(
http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/5417/photogzm.jpg
Sounds very cool! It would be great if you could edit the sign out and submit the pics to the museum
no, it’s of the letters in mid air, not on the actual building.
This is great. Were those pix from when the sign wasn’t on the building or were they edited?
The logo has been disgusting since it went up, but in light of the likely failure of the last remaining alternative – West Penn/Allegheny Hospitals under UPMC’s monopolistic practices, and the overall state healthcare in the USA in general, the logo on the steel building positively turns my stomach.
Any city in the world with the least bit of class does not allow big corporate logos atop their landmark buildings. Visit Manhattan, Chicago or San Francisco to see what I mean.
Surely with enough outcry, we can get it taken down – then the Highmark Logo, then Federated, then K&L Gates and the rest. What is the plan?
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Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town
LOL that’s a great comment! Thanks for sharing.
Hey folks, that magnificent building would be largely vacant were it not for UPMC occupying many floors of the building.
I can tell you for sure, that the building would NOT be largely vacant without UPMC. They aren’t even the largest occupant.
They recently leased more, but up until I believe 4 months ago they only had 2 floors. There’d be no problem filling that building.
1. UPMC’s occupancy of the building has nothing to do with despoiling the skyline with a big tacky sign. US Steel occupied the building for years without feeling the need to put their logo up there (and until recently, they wouldn’t have been allowed to).
2. What is the not-for-profit UPMC, part of a public institution (U. Pitt.), and near healthcare monopoly doing spending OUR money, as captive patients and insurance premium payers, on that big expensive sign and those lavish TV ads?
3. Cities with class do not allow big corporate logos in their landmark buildings. New York, Chicago, Toronto, and and San Francisco do not, among many others.
GREAT point on #3!
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Honestly, get over it already.
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I can’t stand the damn sign. Also can’t forget Mercury Men and Dogma filmed there.
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