What's up with The Gulf Tower (Beacon)? (Pittsburgh, Reading: tenants, airport)

[Impala26]

The last several weeks I've noticed that the lights on the top of the Gulf Tower do not seem to be illuminated. I am looking at it right now from where I'm typing this and the bottom two "steps" of the pyramid top are lit, but nothing above that, including its famous weather beacon light.

Can anyone shed any insight to this? Power conservation demonstration perhaps like what was done in the 1970's? Electrical failure? Who operates/maintains the building currently because I am tempted to contact them about what's going on or even if they even know or care. It's kind of a shame because the building's top is one of the city's most notable, at least at night.

On a simlar "beacon"-related note, has anyone else noticed that the color of the beacon atop the Grant Building has changed to green? I saw a green "Huntington" logo plastered atop the building so I figured it was some sort of pairing. However, I noticed that the beacon appeared to be a solid light as opposed to the famous flashing of "PITTSBURGH" in Morse Code. This could even be more alarming than the Gulf Building!

Yeah I know this is an incredibly nerdy post, but I still think these are two important (yet subtle) Pittsburgh institutions, so if anyone has any additional observations or insight, I would love to hear it.

[gg]

I don't think they do the weather beacon light anymore. I always thought that was cool, but I guess they got too lazy.

[Billy53]

I wish I had an answer to your question because I can see the Gulf and Koepper Buildings from my Bedroom and they were my 2 favorite buildings in the skyline although Bank of NY Mellon which changes colors for different events like pink for breast cancer awareness or like a steeler helmet when they play night games. Going back to your original question the Gulf building for the last 2 months has only had the bottom 2 rows of lights on which is a little disappointing. Both the Koepper and Gulf buildings turn them entirely off after midnight.

[BrianTH]

According to this article from last summer:

Pittsburgh's Gulf Tower lands three new tenants, AECOM, TTG Now and LITMG - Pittsburgh Business Times

Rugby Realty Inc., who bought the building in the late 1980s, has invested $30 million since 2005 to upgrade the Gulf Tower and bring it up to speed with its other mostly full office buildings Downtown, with a few million dollars worth of improvements still to come. . . . Changes to come include . . . a complete refurbishing of the building’s lighting system, including its signature weather beacon at the tower’s pinnacle, which has signaled the weather through its color-coded lighting for 70 years.

So at a guess, they are currently refurbishing it.

[PGHPA611]

Originally Posted by Billy53

I wish I had an answer to your question because I can see the Gulf and Koepper Buildings from my Bedroom and they were my 2 favorite buildings in the skyline although Bank of NY Mellon which changes colors for different events like pink for breast cancer awareness or like a steeler helmet when they play night games. Going back to your original question the Gulf building for the last 2 months has only had the bottom 2 rows of lights on which is a little disappointing. Both the Koepper and Gulf buildings turn them entirely off after midnight.

Thank you Gulf Tower for the amazing addition to the Pittsburgh Skyline...

Gulf Tower new LED Lights - YouTube

[PITairport]

Cool lights, but I'm not sure the period architecture and grandness of the Gulf Tower is compatible with that kind of light show.

I watched the whole video, and was more drawn to the Koppers Building. Its lighting compliments the building much more instead of distracting from it.

[SPSGuy]

Pitairport I agree with you. I like the lighting of the Koppers building. The way the floods are used to highlight the building elements and the green roof. This level of lighting can also be done with changing over to LEDs. Just use white LEDs. The color rendering will be much better than using HPS that it uses now (maybe Metal Halide). It could look nice no the green roof. HPS give a horrible color rendering with a very warm color temp. LEDs can be specified at many different color temperatures (daybright white 5000K to a more incandescent glow 3000K) but at much better color renderings. I just hope with the development of more LEDs used on exterior facades that they are not all obnoxious color LEDs causing a look of tackiness in every city skyline. Which is happening to many buildings.

I don't like much of the newer facade lighting using color LEDs now. I do think it can be done in a elegant way to compliment the architecture if done in certain ways. One instance is the Pagoda in Reading. If you ever seen it. I think the Gulf tower is OK since they are bringing back what use to be done with Neon lighting. It usually never does that level of controls like in the youtube video. Most of it is always a constant light pattern showing the weather.

I added a photo below I took a few weeks ago since it works well in this conversation for comparison.



On another note. I thought only the Gulf tower used lighting schemes to indicate weather using lighting. This lighting strategy is used on many buildings across the country. Even on the Reading court house.

[I_Like_Spam]

I've seen the rainbow at the top of the Gulf Building. I assume it was installed to show Pittsburgh's welcoming attitude toward gay visitors to town.

A lot different that the old red and blue depending on the weather

[PreservationPioneer]

I think the new lights on the Gulf Tower are fantastic, and bring much-deserved attention to one of the handsomest buildings in the skyline!