Anchoring the Gateway corridor, Fifth Avenue Place nobly stands at the threshold of Pittsburgh's central Business and Cultural districts.  Bound by Stanwix Street, Penn, Fifth, and Liberty Avenues, the building is one of the first major structures to greet visitors as they enter the city.

Developed and owned by Pittsburgh-based Jenkins-Empire Associates, Fifth Avenue Place opened in early 1988 as the final development project of Pittsburgh's Renaissance II.

The 31-story tower consists of 29 floors of office space rising above two levels of retail shops and a three-level underground garage.

This multi-use complex was conceived of and designed by the Stubbins Associates of Cambridge Massachusetts.  Final design of the office/retail structure was done in conjunction with the locally based architectural firm Williams Trebilcock Whitehead.

The building's retail area, referred to as the Fifth Avenue Place Arcade Shops, was co-developed by Williams Jackson Ewing and designed by D.I. Design & Development Consultants, both of Baltimore, Maryland.

Pittsburgh based Mellon Stuart Company was the general contractor for the three-year construction process.  Fifth Avenue Place was constructed upon the former site of the Jenkins-Arcade, Pittsburgh's first enclosed indoor mall.

Standard Property Corporation handles both the office and retail leasing functions for the complex while daily property management activities are carried out under the on-site supervision of Oxford Development Company.

The complex is readily compliant with ADA guidelines inclusive of power-assisted doors, Braille readings for the elevator cabs, strobe alarm lighting, complying directional signage, sidewalk curb cuts, restroom accommodations, and twenty-four hour Security to assist with any ingress and egress issues.

The building's signature pyramidal roof is 124-feet tall and consists of four individual prisms clad in granite.  Besides providing the complex with a distinctive landmark, the pyramidal rooftop also serves as an enclosed mechanical penthouse for the building's cooling towers and the elevator machine room.

Towering from Fifth Avenue Place's rooftop peak stands the building's trademark, a 178-foot tall mast manufactured by Meyer Industry of Minnesota.  Despite its rounded appearance, the 13-story steel structure is actually 12-sided and measures four feet in diameter.

The mast's hollow interior contains a ladder which provides ready access to the aircraft warning light located at the top.  In extremely high winds the mast's design allows for up to a 3-foot sway in any given direction.

Because Pittsburgh zoning ordinances mandate a decrease in the height of high-rise office towers progressing from Grant Street down to Point State Park, the building's pyramidal peak and mast were designed to provide the structure with a greater sense of height as well as a unique architectural identity.

Soft pink granite encases the building and provides it with its warm exterior presence.  The majority of the facade is covered with Spanish Pink Granite mined in Porrino, Spain.  Darker colored Taivassalo granite, imported from Finland, accents the building's entryways and windows and makes up the granite planters that line the perimeter of the complex.

Rivers of bottle green glass, manufactured by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Industries, dramatically cascade down each side of the office tower. 

A dramatic three-story glass and brass arch and distinguished illuminated clockface mark the center's main retail entrance at the corner of Fifth & Liberty Avenues.  Lush floral beds, tree-lined terrazzo sidewalks, and awning-trimmed windows also serve to accentuate the center's charismatic retail presence.

During the evening, Fifth Avenue Place dominates the city skyline with its formidable design and creative exterior lighting.  The pyramidal rooftop peak and office tower walls are illuminated with more than 44,000 watts of light generated by 64 strategically positioned flood lamps.

Specially designed peach colored filters cover each exterior lamp to temper the glare and provide the building with its effervescent presence.

Inside the building, a blend of gleaming glass storefronts, burnished brass moldings, classic columns, open atriums and wrought iron railings help to create a European inspired arcade along the first two levels of retail space.

The Retail mix includes a unique combination of national chains, independent shops, a full-service  PNC Bank branch office, a tempting 300-seat Food Court and the distinguished Caffè Amante Restaurant.

The combination of three-story atriums and definitively carved balconies serves to create an open, airy ambiance that is further defined by the warm peach-themed paint and brass accents.

Topaz marble imported from Portugal and Rosa Alicanti marble mined in Spain were used to construct the Stanwix Street grand lobby and as accent points throughout the retail corridors.

Marble and tile walkways, Victorian lamp posts, tree and flora filled planters and traditional park benches help to create an environment that is both instantly warming and inviting.  A glorious grand staircase, elevator and two escalators lead to the second level shops, Caffè Amante Restaurant, and Food Court eateries.

A series of computer controlled skylights accurately reflect the various parts of daylight and add a sense of reality to the ''open marketplace'' environment.