A new front entry, new student lounge and café, and renovated admissions office form the first phase of PAYETTE’s Master Plan for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’ Scaife Hall. Together they create an inviting new social hub for the school, enlivened by a new monumental stair and interactive multimedia display. Ultimately, the Master Plan calls for an addition and further renovations that will include a new auditorium, classrooms, small group rooms, wet and dry teaching labs and a new anatomy lab.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Scaife Hall Master Plan and Medical Education Building
Project Statistics
LOCATION
Pittsburgh, PA / United States
COMPLETED
2018
TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE
Master Plan: 600,000 GSF
Medical Education Building: 80,000 GSF
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Health Sciences
Team
George E. Marsh, Jr., FAIA
Principal-in-Charge
Nikolas Pappastratis, AIA
Project Architect
Charles Garcia, AIA, LEED AP
Architect
Jinseok Jang
Designer
Jonah Prada
Designer
Adam Anderson, ASLA, LEED AP
Landscape Architect
Yuan Zhang
Landscape Architect
Yu Pei
Landscape Designer
Contemporary Expression of Historic Forms
Scaife Hall was built of limestone in the mid-1950s, when aluminum cladding was also a favored material in the architecture of downtown Pittsburgh. The project’s outward expression is a glass box extending over the entrance, shaded from the western afternoon sun by angled, perforated aluminum panels that continue the rhythm of the building’s tall, narrow windows. As seen by a passerby walking west to east, the panels first block the view into the student lounge, then gradually reveal it.
Past Intentions Improve the Future
Inside, the transformation of the space began with removal of the original escalators, which rose through five floors of the building. An open stair had been an option in the original 1950s design. This grand gesture is now realized, encouraging walking to promote wellness and reducing energy and maintenance costs. At the top, a Tribute Wall highlights the careers of significant researchers from Pitt Medicine.
Photography: © Warren Jagger Photography
