Rebar Railing at Fourth Street Kayak Launch
Recently Red Star finished a railing project on Pittsburgh’s South Side, along the Monongahela River at the Fourth Street river access point. This project involved Pfaffman + Associates architects, the City of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and Friends of the Riverfront. This area will now serve as one of the many river access points created along our three rivers as a safe entrance point for kayaks and canoes.
Located directly behind the Terminal Buildings, the site retains a sense of Pittsburgh’s industrial heritage. As such, Red Star chose a design that would incorporate a heavy industrial feel. The entirety of the rail is constructed from heavy-duty rebar, which is generally used as concrete reinforcement in construction. The railing was not painted, allowing it to get a natural coat of rust to accentuate the industrial feel. Most of the railing was fabricated using traditional joinery techniques.
Here you get a good look at the main section of railing.
Here you can see the other section of railing leading down to the water flanked by Friends of the Riverfront’s signage.
A close-up view of some of the traditional joinery. The uprights were split in order to allow the crossbeams to slip through them. Many of the sections are held together by the smaller rebar wrapped tightly around the two sections.
A close-up of one of several decorative rings attached to the main section of railing.
The view from above
The view of the city from the bottom of the stairs