THE HIGHLINE
WORK ELEVATED
The Highline, formerly known as The Terminal Building and then the River Walk Corporate Centre, was designed in 1898 completed in 1906 and was once considered the largest, most efficient cargo warehouse between New York City and Chicago. Listed n the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, McKnight Realty Partners is converting this massive, 6-story 868,000 square foot historic terminal into a creative and chic office/retail complex. McKnight is a full-service, fully integrated real estate company that develops, owns, operates, and provides services for a portfolio that includes more than 7 million square feet of office, industrial, retail, hotels, parking facilities, film production sound stages, and mixed-use property. W|W designed the Highline’s integrated branding, including graphic identity/logo and style guide that has helped position the development as a top commercial space in Pittsburgh.
![](gif/highline_case_study_4.gif)
![](gif/highline_case_study_3.gif)
WAYFINDING
In a subsequent collaboration, W|W was commissioned to design a comprehensive wayfinding and signage system that effectively captured The Highline's personality while providing visitors with helpful navigation throughout the physical space. With new tenants from tech firms to brewpubs thriving inside the vast property, the Highline is being recognized for its transformation, being named "Best Mixed-Use Development" by NAIOP Pittsburgh and the Urban Land Institute.
![](jpg/highline_case_study_5.jpg)
![](jpg/highline_case_study_6.jpg)
![](jpg/highline_case_study_8.1.jpg)
![](jpg/highline_case_study_9.jpg)
![](jpg/highline_case_study_10r.jpg)
INSIDE OUT
“It’s a 110-year-old building that we’ve essentially turned inside out, and brought what was once a building where trains came in and everything kind of happened inside — we’re making it a very outdoor-oriented complex with two acres of green space and amenities all around the property,” says Izzy Rudolph, president of development and acquisitions for McKnight Realty Partners.
![](jpg/highline_case_study_12.jpg)
![](gif/highline_case_study_13.gif)