This is my favorite skyscraper in Pittsburgh. It's the Gulf Tower, former head of Gulf Oil. This is the building from which Joss sees sparks flying from her office in the more modern skyscraper across the street, the USX Tower.
I love the Gulf Tower because it's very retro and kitschy. First, it has a stepped top to it, modeled after the mausoleum at Halicarnassas. Next, it has a weather beacon at the top. It shows red if the weather is fair and blue if there's going to be precipitation. In the olden days (my youth), the beacon used to flash if the weather was changing. For example, a flashing red meant the weather was fair now but was expected to change.
The lights are operated by two switches (red/blue, flash/no flash) in a locked cupboard next to the guard desk in the lobby. I convinced the guard one day to let me look. And the guard is the person who runs the lights. The guard just looks up the weather forecast, unlocks the cupboard door and adjusts the lights. Could it be any cooler?
This photo is by Phil Roeser, a very fine photographer.
No comments:
Post a Comment