Project Profiles

Low-Iron Glass Shines at Pittsburgh Produce Terminal

Located in the heart of the city’s popular Strip District neighborhood, the Pittsburgh Produce Terminal sat vacant and ignored for decades. But today, the historic five-block structure—now rehabilitated with Acuity™ low-iron glass and Solarban^® 70 glass with an Acuity™ glass interior lite—is a beacon of creativity and innovation in the Steel City.

Manufactured by Pittsburgh-based Vitro Architectural Glass, Solarban^® 70 and Acuity^™ glasses combine to offer an exceptional mix of transparency, color-neutrality, solar control and visible light transmittance (VLT) that made it ideal for the revamped terminal’s needs.

“Playing a key role in the revitalization of the Pittsburgh Produce Terminal was a tremendous honor,” said Julia Giba, manager, Vitro Concierge Program™, who worked with United Plate Glass (UPG), a glass fabricator in nearby Butler, Pennsylvania, to supply the project. “We were able to work as a team to reserve and deliver the raw glass as it needed to be coated, ensuring a smooth, successful collaboration.”

The glazing contractor was Specified Systems in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Antunovich Associates, an architectural, planning and interior design firm, worked with Chicago-based McCaffery Interests starting in June 2019 to return the terminal’s exterior to its original condition while repairing and restoring the interior structure. Industrial wood bi-fold doors were replaced with the new commercial glass storefronts, and passageways were cut through the building to connect the neighborhood with the Allegheny Riverfront Development.

Dan McCaffery, chief executive officer, McCaffery Interests, said the goal was to collaborate with Antunovich Associates to transform the terminal into a central hub again for the citizens of Pittsburgh. “We crafted a mixed-use vision for the historic building that will restore its energy and vitality to once again make it a commercial, people-centric destination,” he explained.

Due to its clarity, consistency and solar control performance, Solarban^® 70 glass has become the most specified triple-silver-coated glass in the industry, with more than 300 million square-feet shipped in the past 10 years. When coupled with Acuity^™ low-iron glass in a one-inch insulating glass unit (IGU), Solarban^® 70 glass offers VLT of 67% and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.28.

Specially engineered for vision glazings, Acuity^™ glass can function as a substrate for Solarban^® low-e coatings or as a highly clear glass lite in insulating or laminated glass units.

In addition to office buildings, institutions, hotels and schools, Acuity^™ glass can be specified for exterior applications from luxury condominiums and mixed-use buildings to entrances and storefronts. It also is ideal for distinctive exterior applications such as atriums, skylights and spandrel glass.

The Pittsburgh Produce Terminal offers a mix of retail, dining and office space, with an emphasis on local and contemporary art. Tenants include Fine Wine & Good Spirits, District Brew Yard, City Grows and OnPar Now. The 163,500-square-foot space includes pedestrian passageways that connect to a riverfront trail.

For more information about Solarban^® 70 and Acuity^™ glasses, as well as Vitro Glass’s full line of architectural glasses, visit www.vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).