Designed by architect Henry Hornbostel in 1923 after the club decided to move closer to the city’s college campus, the building features a grand lobby with an ornate wooden staircase, a neo-classical ballroom with a 600-pound crystal chandelier, and 10-foot-tall windows with sweeping views of the University of Pittsburgh.
More than three dozen works of art are displayed throughout the building that including a variety of oils, watercolors, acrylics, tapestries, etchings, prints, and photography. Ranging from mid-19th-century pieces to newly commissioned works, several of the artworks depict local scenes, including the Edgar Thomson Works by Ron Donoughe, hanging outside the library, Monongahela Incline by Tom Ruddy, hanging in the lower lobby, and in the club’s main vestibule, a pair of Louis Orr etchings of the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel. The most visible piece is an acrylic painting of the University Club itself that hangs behind the reception desk by Bedford, Pennsylvania artist Kevin Kutz.
Be a part of the History! We are looking for members that have photos of the club back in its hay day!