Historical Highlight: Mellon Square

Written by Allison Frazer

Looking for a glimpse of nature in Downtown Pittsburgh? Head to Mellon Square to enjoy an oasis in the middle of the city.

In 1949, the city was given $4 million by the A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, Sarah Mellon Scaife, and Richard King Mellon Foundation to build a public plaza and parking facility. Built in 1955, it became one of the very first public plazas to be built atop a parking garage, effectively making it one of the country’s first “green roofs.”

The modernist style came from the minds of the landscape architecture group Simonds and Simonds. They wanted to focus on allowing people to have a space to enjoy the greenery while highlighting the beautiful architecture found across the city. 

Mellon Square was restored and reopened to the public in 2014 in partnership with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. The Mellon Square Committee wanted to maintain the tradition of providing the public with a high quality public space and maintain its cleanliness and overall beauty. 

The terrazzo paving is unique to Mellon Square and is a large attraction point for residents, workers and visitors. The restoration effort focused on returning the paving to its former glory and adding dramatic nighttime lighting to the Square’s signature fountains. The plantings remain in tip-top shape and are carefully tended to. The largest part of the restoration focused on adding a terrace over Smithfield Street, creating 15% more public space. The developers were sure to include the history of Mellon Square and the Pittsburgh Renaissance, which are prominently displayed along the sides of the park.

Mellon Square provides a break from the brick-and-mortar of the city's buildings and allows residents a place to reconnect with nature. Enjoy Mellon Square’s urban oasis at Sixth Ave. and Smithfield St. any time of day.