This huge complex was built in two stages, one opening in 1955 and the other in 1957. It was designed by Arthur E. Tennyson, who was responsible for dozens of modernist apartment blocks in Pittsburgh and suburbs. Tennyson seems to have been a get-the-job-done kind of architect; his designs seldom strike old Pa Pitt as remarkable aesthetically, but he must have been a master at managing large projects and bringing them in on budget.
The complex was newsworthy as the first cooperative apartments built in Pittsburgh in a long time. The first stage included 126 apartments, with 88 more planned for the second stage, according to a Press article that appeared when the first stage opened.(1)
The swank Shadyside co-operative was dedicated formally this week. It is composed of two and three-bedroom apartments, all of which have a living room, a separate dining room and a foyer. Most have two baths and some have a balcony. Standard equipment in all kitchens is a dishwasher and garbage disposal unit. All have maximum closet space. A master television antenna guarantees each apartment owner five channels.
Special provisions for inside air conditioning allow each tenant to control his own weather. Beneath the eight-story building are two floors for inside parking.
The lobby, designed by Robert Janisse, features a fountain set in a bed of plants and flowers. Lobby and hallways are completely carpeted. Entrances, framed in cut stone, give access to exterior walks which traverse a spacious lawn, complete with shrubs and trees.
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