Visiting family in Southwestern Pennsylvania over the holiday weekend provided the opportunity to run around downtown Pittsburgh for an afternoon. Though college is years behind me, visiting university campuses continues to appeal to me. The University of Pittsburgh is no different. What is different is the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's main campus that stands in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The Cathedral of Learning is arguably my favorite building in the Steel City.
The 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cathedral is the tallest educational building in the Western hemisphere and the second tallest university building in the world. The most notable part Cathedral's interior is the Commons Room. It has been called one of the "great architectural fantasies of the twentieth century". The fifteenth-century English perpendicular Gothic-style hall covers half an acre, reaching 52 feet high. The Cathedral of Learning is a piece of true Gothic architecture in that no steel supports were used in the construction of its arches. Each arch is a true arch, supporting its own weight. It is almost as if the building knew it had an old Gothic church soul, but decided to make its way to Pittsburgh to be a skyscraper instead.
After wandering wide-eyed in the Commons Room, the elevators seemed like the only natural next step. Going up. The 35th and 36th floors housed the University Honors College and provided a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding city. What took my breath away was not the view though, but a large blueprint of the Cathedral of Learning pinned behind a thin sheet of Plexiglass. So large. So detailed. So beautiful. Being able to see the building before it was even born, only solidified the great appreciation and admiration I had for the impressive structure.
