The trestle is located on 10 acres and features five furnaces with the oldest at the western end of the site dating from 1913. In the 1960s, two additional furnaces were razed after years of disuse. In its heyday, each furnace could produce roughly 3,000 tons of iron each day and employed 31,000 people. Metal forged at the location helped construct the
Golden Gate Bridge,
George Washington Bridge, and built more than 1,000 naval and merchant ships during
World War II.
Redevelopment The site began redevelopment in 2011 that cost $15 million and opened in 2015. WRT's design consisted of a cantilevered steel canopy over the Levitt Pavilion. The pitched lawn around the outdoor stage seats 2,500 where the observer can view the illuminated furnaces designed by
Hervé Descottes as a backdrop to the stage. Becoming SteelStacks, an arts and entertainment district, the site includes multiple performance venues, plazas and parks with the plant's rusted five blast furnaces were left standing and serve as a backdrop for the new campus. The walkway is intended to give people the feeling of moving through history with use of the trestle and a new structure. Inspired by the
High Line in New York City and designed by Patrick Cullina, plantings were chosen to highlight the lighting and take cues from the existing structure. The area includes three outdoor music venues: Levitt Pavilion is a free music venue featuring lawn seating for up to 2,500 people; Air Products Town Square at Steelstacks; and PNC Plaza, which hosts concerts. == Gallery ==