PPG Place Address: 100 One PPG Place Year Built: 1984 Height: 193.6 m / 635 ft Floors: 40 Function: Commercial / Office Materials: PPG Solarban 550 Clear Reflective Glass Style: Postmodern Categories: High-rise Architects: Johnson & Burgee Architects Aliases: None Found Web Site: www.ppgplace.com Facts above are for One PPG Place.

PPG Place consists of six buildings. One PPG Place being the main tower which is an important part of Pittsburgh's skyline. The top of the building was modeled after the founder of PPG's family church in Byrn Athyn, PA. If you look at a picture of The Cathedral of the church of the New Jerusalem you will see a striking resemblance. In Two PPG Place there is a food court and number of speciality shops. There is entrances to Two PPG Place from both 4th avenue and from Market Square. In the center of open plaza bounded by the six glass buildings is a 44-foot tall rose granite obelisk. It sits on top of four spheres that resemble bowling bowls. Because of this it has been nicknamed "Tomb of the Unknown Bowler." In the winter time there is a christmas tree placed on top of it and a rink around it, so that people may ice skate. The rink at PPG is slighly bigger than the rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. in the summer there is a 140 jet fountain where the ice rink stands in the winter. The glass on PPG is actually black, but since it is so reflective the building oftens appears a shade of blue. All the glass on the exterior of the building was produced by PPG. This was used as a way to show off their product to the world. The glass on the exterior of neighboring Fifth Avenue Place was also made by PPG. PPG Industries was original known as The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and was founded in 1883 by John Ford, John Pitcairn and others. The company was renamed to PPG Industries in 1968.

Sources and Copyright
All images, text, and code (c) copyright 2001-2003 William Kammermeier. The following sources were used to obtain information:

A View On Cities. "One PPG Place."
      <http://www.aviewoncities.com/building/oneppgplace.htm>.

Johnson, L.A. "Be There or Be Square." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 21 April 2002, E15.

Miller, Randall M., and Pencak, William, ed., Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth.
      University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002.

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Marker found near the building.

PPG Place. "Architectural Notes."
      <http://www.ppgplace.com/building_notes.shtml>.

SkyscraperPage.com. "PPG Place Tower 1 & 2."
      <http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=6696>.