Design 3 Architecture created a speculative single story flexible shell structure on a tight urban site for future restaurant and nightclub tenants. The entertainment complex is situated in a historical industrial area of Pittsburgh’s Strip District.
The entertainment complex is a brick and load-bearing concrete block, insulated masonry cavity wall structure, with steel roof deck, joists and girders. In addition, internal columns were designed to provide an interior clear height that is able to accommodate future tenants’ mezzanine construction and rooftop equipment.
Two shared service cores with scissor lifts were planned to enable each tenant to have access to a recessed exterior service court along the back alley. Landscaped patios on each end of the building were provided for outdoor dining and the ability for the building to relate to a pedestrian scale at points of cross-street access.
Decorative brick corbeling at the roof edge was incorporated to reflect some of the neighboring architectural context. Large two-story storefront windows with exposed steel lintels and articulated rivet heads were integrated to relate to the massive scale of the building, and provide a flavor of post-industrial re-use. The theme was also reinforced with decorative steel trussed exterior light brackets.
The project was completed in December 2000 and has been well received by the community.

Manufacturers/Suppliers
DIV 02: VERSA-LOK Wall System.
DIV 04: Masonry: Boral Brick.
DIV 07: Roofing: Genflex.
DIV 08: Entrances & Storefronts, Windows: Vistawall.