Doors Open Pittsburgh offers unique river tour of the city's iconic landmarks
On a hot Saturday afternoon in July, more than 100 guests boarded the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s Duchess.
They traveled along the three rivers for 90 minutes and learned about the buildings and bridges that make Pittsburgh, well, Pittsburgh.
“It’s a different viewpoint from the river,” said Paul Tellers of Mt. Lebanon, an architect and tour guide for Doors Open Pittsburgh, host of the Bridges, Buildings and Architecture of the Three Rivers tour.
A second one is happening from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 28. The tour starts and ends at the Gateway Clipper Fleet docks on Pittsburgh’s South Side near Station Square.
Doors Open Pittsburgh hosts various tours that showcase the city’s architecture and history by providing access to iconic buildings. The river tours are an extension of the Doors Open mission on the river.
Tellers, a former university architect at Carnegie Mellon University and a project manager for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, said that developers and builders strived to create the next greatest building.
Pittsburgh has an interesting mix of architecture from the Fort Pitt Block House in Point State Park to The Tower at PNC Plaza on Fifth Avenue.
Built in 1764, the Fort Pitt Block House was first used to defend the fort from Native American Indian attacks during the mid-18th century.
It is the oldest building in the city, Tellers said.
Construction of the Tower at PNC Plaza was completed in 2015. It has 33 stories and is estimated to be about 50 percent more energy-efficient than comparable conventional skyscrapers.
Tellers said Pittsburgh’s skyline has evolved over the years. One of the most recognizable buildings is the U.S. Steel Tower on Grant Street, which was completed in 1970. It is the tallest skyscraper in the city at 64 stories.
PPG Place, a shimmering glass complex, includes a 40-story office tower that is 635 feet high and recognized by its spires on the top of the building.
Nearly 1 million square feet of PPG Solarban 550 clear reflective glass was used. That glass reflects heat away from the building in the summer and heat inward in the winter.
The office space there opened in 1983.
Tellers pointed out the new UPMC Vision Institute that recently opened and was built for $510 million. Nearby is Duquesne University, which was founded in 1878 as the first Pittsburgh Catholic college, Tellers said.
Joining Tellers as a tour guide was transportation engineer Todd Wilson, co-author of “Images of America Pittsburgh’s Bridges” and “Engineering Pittsburgh: A History of Roads, Rails, Canals, Bridges and More.”
Wilson, who has photographed bridges across the world, said viewing the bridges from the water allows people to see underneath and creates a new way to learn about the engineering of a bridge.
The oldest steel bridge in Pittsburgh is the Smithfield Street Bridge. It is a lenticular truss — curved triangles that form an arch — and was built above the bridge that it replaced.
The Three Sisters Bridges — Roberto Clemente Bridge, Andy Warhol Bridge and Rachel Carson Bridge — have been recently refurbished and fitted with thousands of LED lights. They connect the North Shore to Downtown Pittsburgh over the Allegheny River. The lights display different colors for different times of year and have sequenced lighting for artistic effect.
Wilson said the Liberty Bridge is a lot more interesting than anybody realizes — it was the first major modern bridge built for traffic flow.
“It’s almost like every bridge in Pittsburgh needs to be the most beautiful bridge in Pittsburgh, which is why it’s hard to say what the nicest bridge in Pittsburgh,” Wilson said. “Because they all are trying to be the most beautiful bridge.”
One of the most interesting bridges is the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge over the Allegheny, according to Christian Wirginis, vice president of operations for the Gateway Clipper Fleet. He said at one point the bridge had to be raised to accommodate the height of some of the river traffic.
“To see that perspective from the river is worth the trip with Open Doors Pittsburgh,” Wirginis said. “The vantage point for seeing buildings and bridges from the rivers is different than anywhere else. It never gets old.”
For more information on Open Doors Pittsburgh tours: doorsopenpgh.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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