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The Tower at PNC Plaza has been recognized by various media outlets, including:

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Pittsburgh Business Times (subscription required)

90.5 WESA NPR Pittsburgh

Fast Company

Forbes.com

Bloomberg Businessweek

Pop City Pittsburgh

Architecture Publications

Imagine Pittsburgh

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Tower Talk

Published by The PNC Financial Services Group, Tower Talk provides insights on the construction of The Tower at PNC Plaza and defines what it is to be the greenest SkyRiseSM in the world.







PNC Building Green
From finding creative ways to use recycled materials to conserving energy at our branches to developing smarter ways to bank, PNC does more than provide our customers and employees greener choices. We provide them with greener banks. PNC has more than 200 LEED-certified buildings, including more newly constructed LEED-certified buildings than any company on Earth.

  • Green Branch
    In 2002 PNC became the first major bank to apply green building standards to all newly constructed or renovated retail branch offices. In 2007 PNC Bank extended its leadership with the trademark of the "Green Branch" term.
  • 800 17th street/pnc place - washington, D.C
    Opened in 2010, this high performing building in the heart of our nation’s capital, demonstrates PNC’s commitment to the Greater Washington Area and its ongoing leadership in sustainable building practices. The 350,000 square foot building, which received LEED Platinum® certification, houses PNC’s regional headquarters, other office tenants, retail space and parking.
  • Three PNC Plaza - Pittsburgh, PA.
    Opened in 2009, Three PNC plaza extended the company’s downtown Pittsburgh campus and expanded upon its award-winning commitment to green building practices. The 23 story building is one of the largest LEED® Certified™ mixed-use building in the United States, and includes a 4-star hotel, offices, condominiums and retail space. Adjacent to Three PNC Plaza, at the corner of 5th and Liberty Avenues, is PNC Triangle Park. Serving as a gateway to the city’s south entrance, the green space is an 8,000 square foot, pet-friendly park with bench seating and drought-resistant plantings.
  • Firstside Center - Pittsburgh, PA.
    At nearly 650,000 square feet, the equivalent of 12 football fields, Firstside Center opened in 2000 as the largest LEED® Certified™ building in the world and the first certified under LEED® 2.0. Across the street is Firstside Park. Opened in 2007 it stands on the site of a deconstructed former public safety building for the City of Pittsburgh. The winding paths, benches and numerous trees stand atop 2,500 tons of recycled concrete from the deconstruction.
  • Green Wall - Pittsburgh, PA.
    On the side of One PNC Plaza, PNC’s current headquarters building, is one of the largest green walls in North America. About the size of a singles tennis court, the 2,380 square foot soil-based space provide unique public art and contributes to the overall energy efficiency of the building.

Fact Sheet
  • Building Facts
    Location: Downtown Pittsburgh; Adjacent to PNC Plaza; at corner of Fifth and Wood Streets
    Size: Approximately 800,000 gross square feet
    Parking Garage: Multi-story underground garage
    Construction Budget: Approximately $240 million
    Economic Impact: Construction to employ 2,500 people with 500 at peak times
  • Working Together
    Owner: PNC Bank, National Association
    Design Architect: Gensler - Pittsburgh Office
    Construction Manager: P.J. Dick
    Structural & MEP Engineer: Buro Happold
    Sustainability Consultant: Paladino & Company
    Tenant: PNC and street level retail
    Developer: PNC Realty Services
  • Growing Green
    PNC is incorporating ground-breaking technology and design strategies, seeking to develop the greenest building in the world and to exceed the requirements of LEED Platinum®, the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC®) highest certification rating.

    To define what is beyond LEED Platinum®, PNC's project team has three aspirational goals:

    • Community Builder: Support Pittsburgh's existing infrastructure, spur further development and business growth downtown and positively accentuate the skyline as a symbol of PNC's commitment to the city's sustainable future.
    • Workplace Innovator: Attract tomorrow's leaders to Pittsburgh by utilizing innovative space planning and building systems that promote collaboration and productivity, and set the bar for a healthy indoor environment.
    • Climate Responder: Tune to Pittsburgh's climate by aggressively pursuing strategies and technologies that minimize resource use and maximize renewable energy opportunities.

    PNC's design team is currently considering the following technologies:

    • Geothermal wells and a solar chimney that will significantly reduce carbon emissions.
    • Optimally oriented building facades, operable windows, occupancy-based heating and cooling systems and other state of the art energy reduction technologies.
    • Rain water collection, water reuse, and retention systems that significantly reduce water use.
  • Building Green
    • The Tower at PNC Plaza is expected to be PNC's third major LEED® Certified™ project in downtown Pittsburgh and is expected to exceed LEED Platinum®.
    • PNC Firstside Center at 650,000 square feet opened in 2000 as the largest LEED® Certified™ building in the world and the first certified under LEED® 2.0.
    • Three PNC Plaza, which is among the nation's largest mixed-use green buildings and is LEED® Gold®
    • PNC Place is one of the largest LEED Platinum® buildings in Washington, D.C.
    • USGBC® has recognized PNC for constructing more new LEED® Certified™ buildings than any other company in the world.
    • PNC's Green Wall: one of the largest in North America is located on the southern exposure of One PNC Plaza.
    • PNC has built two parks in downtown Pittsburgh for the enjoyment of employees and the community, Firstside Park and Triangle Park.
    • The Lantern Building in downtown Pittsburgh was built to LEED® standards and houses the PNC Legacy Project, an interactive multimedia exhibit that showcases the history of PNC and our commitment to the region's continued revitalization.
  • Preliminary Schedule
    Design Phase Began – April 2011
    Construction Begins – Spring 2012
    Open for Business – Summer 2015




The Tower at PNC Plaza Rising approximately 30 stories near the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, The Tower at PNC Plaza will represent the innovative and pioneering spirit of Pittsburgh and PNC’s commitment to that community. The Tower will be more than the world’s greenest skyscraper, it will also be the new home of one of America’s oldest and strongest financial institutions, a place that accommodates a growing and highly regarded company as well as a symbol of strength, for both PNC and the region.

Latest Updates (11/23/14)
  • Tower Crane
    The tower crane will be dismantled in the first quarter of 2015.
  • Interior Construction
    Interior construction began in April 2014 and is expected to be complete in the Spring of 2015.