Great Glazing: Three PNC Plaza

Photos by Jim Shafer.

The basics: The glass-enclosed Three PNC Plaza, a 750,000 -square-foot, 23-story mixed-use development, marks Pittsburgh's first new downtown tower in more than two decades, according to an article from the International Business Times. The building, which has earned Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, is comprised of a Fairmont Hotel, offices, residential condominiums, ground-floor retail and below-grade parking. The curtain wall features two distinct glass types, used to differentiate the condominium areas from the office and hotel portions of the tower: The condo areas feature clear glass, and the office/hotel areas green-tinted glass. The building's glass-walled lobby was named one of Pittsburgh's most spectacular interiors by John Conti, architecture writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

The players: Architects, Gensler and Astorino; general contractor, PJ Dick; green engineering consultants, Paladino & Co.; glass supplier, PPG Industries; glass fabricator, Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions; glazing contractor, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope.

The glass and systems: Insulating glass units fabricated with Solarban 70XL/Caribia glass were specified for the office and hotel, and Solarban 60/Clear IGUs were used for the condominiums. The lobby incorporates Solarban 60 and Starphire glasses in IGUs that measure up to 7.5 feet wide.