University of Cincinnati

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Post-Industrial Palimpsest: Maintaining Place and Layers of History A thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Interior Design 2004 by Matthew D. Stevenson B.S. Arch., University of Cincinnati, 2001 Committee Chair: David Saile Committee Members: Gordon Simmons Jeffrey Tilman ABSTRACT Industry, formerly defining the identity of Pittsburgh, has mostly moved away from the city. The resultant post-industrial landscape is littered with abandoned industrial buildings. These buildings facing disuse or demolition are the urban artifacts that once contributed to the sense of place. The loss of these artifacts has negative effects not only on the particular place but also on the broader urban environment. The reuse of these buildings is important to make them a valued piece of architecture once again. Place is immersed in layers of history. The destruction of the post-industrial landscape separates and tears those layers of history. While maintaining a connection to the industrial past is important, it is necessary not to overlook all the layers of pre- and post-industrial history. These are elements of the place. The conversion of unused industrial buildings can start to maintain the sense of place. The fuller sense of place may be realized in an architecture of palimpsest. Metaphorically, the term palimpsest refers to the ability of architecture to contain many partial “texts” thru time layered over each other. The richness of the architecture takes advantage of this and is derived from the layers that define place. The aspects used to create this architectural palimpsest are the validity of fragments, the existing architectural character, and the design of new interventions. Design exploration will take place through the Armstrong Cork Building in the Strip District of Pittsburgh. This striking hundred year-old cork factory has been abandoned for twenty-five years. The project derives its program not only from the needs of the area as well as from the layers of history. ii iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my family for their support, my thesis committee for their guidance, my friends for their distraction, and my fiancée Jeanne for her love. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... 1 THESIS ................................................................................................................ 3 Setting........................................................................................................................................4 Proposition.................................................................................................................................8 Thinking .....................................................................................................................................9 SITE ................................................................................................................... 15 Physical Description ................................................................................................................16 Site History ..............................................................................................................................16 Prehistory – Fort Pitt 16 1769 – 1860 19 1860 – 1915 21 1916 – Present 27 Building History........................................................................................................................33 Armstrong Beginnings (1860) – New Facility (1901) 33 Armstrong Cork Built (1901) - Armstrong Cork Closed (1974) 37 Armstrong Cork Abandoned (1974) – Present 39 Site Analysis ............................................................................................................................43 PROGRAM......................................................................................................... 44 Grounding................................................................................................................................45 Segments.................................................................................................................................45 Residential 45 Art Gallery 46 Business Lofts 47 Summary .................................................................................................................................48 Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 50 Image Credits ..........................................................................................................................52 Appendices ........................................................................................................ 56 Appendix I: Program Requirements ........................................................................................56 Residential Program 56 Art Gallery Program 64 Business Loft Space 71 1 Appendix II: Pittsburgh Neighborhoods...................................................................................74 Appendix III: Pittsburgh Neighborhoods..................................................................................75 Appendix IV: 1886 Pittsburgh Plat Maps.................................................................................76 Appendix V: 1906 Armstrong Cork Sanborne Map Environs ..................................................77 Appendix VI: 1923 Armstrong Cork Sanborne Map Environs .................................................78 Appendix VII: Strip District and Environs Aerial Photo............................................................79 Appendix VIII: Climate Region 1..............................................................................................80 Appendix VIII: Climate Region 3..............................................................................................81 2 THESIS 3 Setting The United States has seen a decline of its heavy industry over the last 50 years. Left in its wake are numerous abandoned industrial structures. These sites are a detriment with an estimated 500,000 “brownfields” to be found in the United States.1 According to the US.EPA: Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underused industrial or commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.2 This thesis will focus on one particular industrial area but may have implications for many other cities coping with similar problems. Since its incorporation as a city, the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was defined by the industries that sustained it. This evolution of identity can be seen in a quick postcard comparison (see Figure 1). The natural resources of coal and navigable rivers led to the development of heavy industry, especially steel. Pittsburgh became famous as the world’s single largest producer of steel responsible for building America’s Figure 1: Postcard comparison shows the change in identity. Top right: A picture postcard titled, “HIGH NOON,” c. 1920. Above: J&L Mill c. 1950. Left: Skyline c. 2000. 1 Kirkwood, Niall. Manufactured Sites: Rethinking the Post-Industrial Landscape. London: Spon Press, 2001. pg. 4-5. 2 Kirkwood. pg. 61. 4 railroads, bridges, skyscrapers and machines of war for over a century. A strong identity of hard work and pride was formed during these years. “Yet Pittsburgh has treated its steel heritage with ambivalence in these years after steel, mostly due to the pollution and layoffs of workers the industry caused.”3 Today, with steel and manufacturing all but moved overseas, most local steel mills have closed. Although, the city has profited greatly in reduced pollution, people in and out of the region still identify Pittsburgh with steel and manufacturing.4 The city is left with numerous abandoned industrial structures. The buildings often remain dilapidated or are leveled to make room for new development since many of them sit on prime riverside real estate. The South Side Works, made up largely of the Jones and Laughlin steelworks, was scraped clean for new development. Little trace of its history was left behind. A new sculpture tries desperately to fill the void. The city and its residents, once steeped in its rugged industrialism, are slowly losing those once soot- covered vestiges of the past that define the place. They contribute neither to the current urban fabric nor to the everyday life of the city. Figure 2: Smoky City. Jones and Laughlin steelworks with the University of Pittsburgh's These unused structures represent a series of difficulties that need addressing. Cathedral of Learning in the distance. Brownfields are occupying a valuable piece of riverfront. New developments are necessary to pump life back into buildings and potential

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