Eighth & Penn, located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, is a project that can truly be considered more than the sum of its parts. The development invigorates an area of downtown Pittsburgh’s popular Cultural District that was otherwise dominated by surface parking lots.
Comprised of two historic buildings combined with new construction, from outside the assemblage appears to have different façades reflecting the scale and rhythm of the existing historic district. The 136-unit project includes the unique copper-clad “Jewel Box” at the rear of the building, which features a 6,000 square foot rooftop deck for tenants. The Eagle Food & Beer Hall will be the anchor restaurant on the corner of Eighth Street and Penn Avenue when completed in 2020.
Among the distinctive elements of Eighth & Penn is a pedestrian passageway featuring SQR, a “light bridge,” designed by artist Erwin Redl that links the Jewel Box portion of the project to the main building. A number of local artists are featured throughout the project including hand-blown lighting pendants in every apartment from the Pittsburgh Glass Center, a custom-built table in the lobby by Brian Ferrell Designs and a 3-D printed ceramic wall by Building Bytes.
The project utilized both Federal and Pennsylvania State Historic Tax Credits. Historic restoration of the façade was supported by both the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership as well as the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Cultural District Historic Façade Restoration Program.
Residents of Eighth & Penn are eligible for special discounts to cultural district attractions as a result of a special collaboration with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
www.eighthandpenn.com