Pittsburgh's Architecture Week has returned for the second year, bringing a slew of free and public events downtown Oct. 6-13, from neighborhood walking tours to a studio crawl.
The week-long celebration, organized by the American Institute of Architects Pittsburgh, brings together architects, urban planners and enthusiasts to engage in discussions, tours and activities that highlight the city's architectural heritage and its potential for transformation.
One of the week's key highlights is the fully-booked panel discussion, "Remaking Cities," taking place today at the Strada Offices downtown. Led by Stefan Gruber from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Architecture, the panel will address issues related to the city's architectural landscape in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"This panel is trying to address the vacancies in offices post-pandemic,” said Gruber. “Currently, approximately 63% of office workers have returned to working Downtown, which leaves Downtown Pittsburgh with approximately 20% of its office spaces vacant."
The panel discussion aims to explore strategies for revitalizing the vacant office spaces, with a particular focus on adaptive reuse, transforming them into residential projects and innovative storefronts.
Beyond office space vacancies, the panel will also discuss broader topics such as affordable housing, efforts underway in other cities post-Covid and an interactive audience Q&A session.
The remainder of the week's activities include neighborhood walking tours, providing participants with the chance to explore the city's various architectural gems, a studio crawl showcasing the creative spaces where architects work, and a utopian film screening.
