Market Square Place

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . Market Square Place

Pittsburgh’s Market Square Place was historically a bustling hub of locals and street merchants. Heavy cast iron structures and fire-brick masonry gave the neighborhood an architectural charm. But by 2000, most stores on the block that fronts the square had closed. Crumbling facades added to an overall impression of neglect, which kept many people from spending time downtown. Since 2007, new investment in the vicinity and a fresh mix of uses on this block have brought new life into what was previously a stagnant district.

The first challenge for Strada was a logistical one; the architects needed to solve a puzzle of buildings of varying heights, styles, and materials. The team negotiated a mazeof code requirements between different construction types and arranged connections between floor plates of varying heights between buildings. The resulting design essentially joins all seven buildings on the block into one. The creation of large, flexible spaces attracted a 30,000-SF multi-level fitness center, a key tenant for the project’s viability. New building connections on the upper floors facilitate circulation for 46 market-rate apartments and a shared terrace.

At street level, pedestrians experience a variety of distinct storefronts as in past decades. A new parking area below grade allows one car resident.

Situated in the original center of civiv life, the site of the city's first courthouse and market, this block became a barometer of downtown neglect in the latter part of the 20th century. Its renewal has set an example for the alignment of historic preservation and sustainability to generate economic and social activity, while inspiring further interest and development in the area.

Transect Zone(s): T5 center.
Status: Complete
Project or Plan's Scale: Region
Features: Affordable/subsidized housing, Transit oriented development.
LEED-ND Certification: Gold
Land area (in acres): 1
Total built area (in sq. ft.):
Total project cost (in local currency):
Retail area (in sq. ft.): 61000
Office area (in sq. ft.):
Industrial area (in sq. ft.):
Number of hotel units:
Number of residential units (include live/work): 46
Parks & green space (in acres):
Project team designers: Strada
Project team developers: N/A

Previous site status:

Starting/Ending date of construction/implementation: - 2010