The Gulf Building located on Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh is truly one of the city’s more distinctive buildings. It is also known as the Gulf Oil Building and the Gulf Tower. The building is considered a skyscraper as it reaches into the sky at 582 feet with it’s 44 floors. The structure is made of steel, which is not surprising at all given that Pittsburgh is the Steel City! The facade is granite for the first two stories, with the rest being made of limestone. The architectural style of the building would be classified as Art Deco, which originated in France and was popular from about the mid-1920’s and through the 1940’s. Characteristic of Art Deco architecture include symmetry and repetition. Often large, blocky, rectangular stone pieces are arranged in geometrically appealing fashion, accented by ornamental carvings and curves. Doorways are often very elaborate and beautful, as is the case with the Gulf Building. Windows are uniform, sometimes in strips or bands, and often recessed to give a more streamlined look. The Empire State Building in New York City is an example of Art Deco architecture. It was built at about the same time as the Gulf Building and their similarities are striking.
Construction began on the Gulf Building in1930, and lasted for two years. In 1932 the doors opened for the first time. The structure was built on the site of the nation’s first petroleum refining site, owned by the Gulf Oil Corporation. The tower was built to be the corporate headquarters for Gulf, and at one time was the office space for over 3,000 employees. It was the tallest building in Pittsburgh from 1932 until 1970 when the U.S. Steel Building was completed. Today, the Gulf Building still serves as office space for many companies.
On the night of June 13, 1974, a bomb exploded on the 29th floor of the Gulf Building. A radical terrorist organization immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, alleging that Gulf had engaged in ‘enormous crimes’ by exploiting people and resources all around the world. Fortunately, no one was killed in the attack. Unfortunately however, the perpetrators have never been caught.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Gulf Building is the crown of the tower, built in a step pyramid shape. This part of the building lights up at night. Originally, the colors were the trademark blue and orange of the Gulf Oil Company, but eventually different colors were utilized as it became a weather beacon to provide the local forecast! The top three floors indicate the temperature. The 41st floor show how much precipitation to expect. The 40th floor is for the humidity levels, and the 39th floor indicates what the wind speeds are predicted to be. Sometimes the crown is lit up to celebrate special events or holidays.
Establish my footsteps in Your Word ~ Psalm 119:133 
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