Highmark Health continually builds on its strong tradition of community support established more than 170 years ago by our affiliate companies. We believe that we have a fundamental responsibility to be leaders and stewards in the community. Our corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, is a proud reflection of our commitment to the community, welcoming visitors from the west end of the city to its location in the Golden Triangle where the three rivers meet. With its signature spire and pyramidal crown, Fifth Avenue Place is a monumental structure in the Pittsburgh skyline and is long recognized as being the beacon of good health in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Highmark Health has been illuminating Fifth Avenue Place to draw attention to health-related initiatives since 2017. We partner with a local organization, Clear Story, to operate the customizable colored lights. After their initial recommendation and installation of an upgraded system, Clear Story has continued to work alongside our building engineers and facilities management team to maintain the recognition lighting program.
The rooftop lights at Fifth Avenue Place are coordinated to support a variety of causes. We highlight national holidays, disease awareness campaigns, and other observations of community support. Fifth Avenue Place is an integral part of Pittsburgh's skyline, so we collaborate with other towers throughout the city to join larger displays of solidarity—pink lights for Brest Cancer Awareness month, red, white and blue to support Emergency Medical Service workers or a flashing gold to celebrate walk-off home runs and game wins of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The lights come on at dusk, thirty minutes before sunset and turn off at dawn, thirty minutes after sunrise.
At this time, Highmark Health is not accepting rooftop lighting requests from the community. We thank you for your continued support of our business.
The rooftop lighting underwent a significant refresh in 2017. Now it not only enhances the Pittsburgh skyline, but also exemplifies our commitment to a more sustainable, environmentally friendly community. The benefits of a newer system go well beyond visual allure—it is now more energy efficient and safer to operate. The design reduces annual operating cost for the rooftop lighting by 78%, including a 38.5% reduction in energy consumption. The bulbs have been replaced with energy-efficient LEDs, which have significantly longer life.
Under the old lighting system, color selections were limited to three, as special lighting cell sets had to be created for each color and separate bulb. Our rooftop now features brighter, more intense colors, and the new LED technology creates virtually unlimited opportunities for customization. Plus, our engineers are safer since all lighting is programmed and controlled via updated systems for more efficient and convenient operation.
Have you ever wondered why Fifth Avenue Place is lit a certain color?