July 13, 2005

 

To: Pittsburgh City Council

Re: Public Hearing on the Historic Designation of the Buhl Planetarium Building

 

Honorable Members of Council:

 

            I am pleased to lend my support to the proposal to designate the building of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science as a historic structure in the City of Pittsburgh.

 

            Both the history of Buhl, and the uniqueness of the building that housed it, warrant this designation. The site of the historic Zeiss planetarium projector, the wonderful Siderostat telescope, and many other extraordinary educational displays and artifacts, this building played a central role in the education of Pittsburghers in science for decades. The building was ingeniously crafted to house this educational enterprise; its architectural uniqueness is well-documented in the extensive web page materials developed by Glenn Walsh. I urge you to look at the careful engineering and beautiful design work that went into building the dome and other special features of this structure.

 

            Historic designation of the building will preserve the outer appearance of this structure so that future generations may enjoy it and learn of the rich history it represents.

 

            Thank you for your consideration of this important action to protect a piece of Pittsburgh’s history.

 

                                                                        Barry M. Mitnick, Ph.D.

                                                                        Professor, University of Pittsburgh

 

                                                                        261 Mervis Hall

                                                                        Pittsburgh, PA  15260