Architecture of Portland, Oregon

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The Wells Fargo Center is the tallest building in Portland Wells Fargo Center (2012) in Portland, Oregon.JPG
The Wells Fargo Center is the tallest building in Portland

Portland architecture includes a number of notable buildings, a wide range of styles, and a few notable pioneering architects.

Contents

The scale of many projects is relatively small, as a result of the relatively small size of downtown-Portland blocks (200 feet by 200 feet) and strict height restrictions enacted to protect views of nearby Mount Hood from Portland's West Hills. Although these restrictions limit project size, they contribute to Portland's reputation for thoughtful urban planning and livability.

Many older buildings have been preserved and re-used, including many glazed terra-cotta buildings.

Portland is a leader in sustainable architecture and is known for its focus on urban planning. As of 2009, Portland has the second highest number of LEED-accredited "green" buildings of any city in the U.S., second only to Chicago. [1]

Architects

Well-known architect Pietro Belluschi began his career in Portland with the prolific firm of A.E. Doyle, leaving his imprint upon the city until the 1980s. Other notable architects and firms who have worked in Portland are Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), Michael Graves, Cass Gilbert, Rapp and Rapp, Daniel Burnham & Co., Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF) and Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works. Local architects that have had a large influence on Portland's architecture include Francis Marion Stokes and his father William R. Stokes (combined works include over 270 buildings from 1882 to the 1960s), the Victorian-era architect Warren H. Williams (architect of several surviving cast-iron buildings including the Blagen Block as well as the stick-gothic Old Church) and Whidden & Lewis (architects of Portland City Hall, the long demolished Portland Hotel, the Weinhard Brewery Complex, the Failing Office Building, several office buildings on SW 3rd Ave. and numerous residences).

Skyscrapers

Portland building concentrations
The Wells Fargo Building is considered the first skyscraper in Portland Historic Wells Fargo Building - Portland Oregon.jpg
The Wells Fargo Building is considered the first skyscraper in Portland

Portland has four main concentrations of high-rise buildings: Downtown, the Lloyd District, South Waterfront, and the Pearl District. Downtown high-rises have a wide-range of building types including office, residential, lodging, municipal, and retail. Lloyd District high-rises have historically been primarily office, although smaller residential and lodging buildings have been added in recent years. South Waterfront and the Pearl District are almost entirely residential. Additionally, Lloyd District has been home to a federal building, and Portland's Oregon state office building (and the adjacent Oregon Square), since 1959 and 1992, respectively. [2] [3]

Early 20th century

The first "true skyscraper" in Portland was the Wells Fargo Building, completed in 1907. It is a 182 feet (55 m) steel-framed building, although the tallest building from 1892 to 1911 was the Oregonian Building, if it's clocktower is included. [4] The large doorstep at the building's entryway required the largest slab of granite ever shipped to Portland at the time. [5]

In 1911, the Yeon Building was completed, which was the tallest building in the city for two years. The building was clad in glazed terra-cotta, and culminates in a colonnade on the top floors. For a time, the building was illuminated by light sockets built into the cornices, but they were later removed. [5] In 1913, the Yeon building was surpassed in height by the American Bank Building, which remained the tallest, at 207 feet (63 m), for 14 years. [6]

Many buildings in Portland from this period employed the Chicago school and commercial style of architecture. Beaux-arts and Neoclassical architecture were also common.

Late 20th century

The late 20th century saw a massive increase of modern skyscrapers. International style and modernist architecture dominated most of the buildings in this time period. Beginning in 1962, multiple buildings were completed, seemingly competing for tallest building. In Portland's timeline of tallest buildings, half of them were built in the 1960s and 1970s. The Hilton Portland Hotel was the tallest from 1962 to 1965. [7] A carpenters strike halted the project temporarily during construction. [8] The West Tower of the Harrison Tower Apartments, a modernist building reminiscent of New York City housing projects, was tallest from 1965-1969. [9] The Union Bank Tower, followed by the Standard Insurance Center, both International style office buildings, were tallest for less than one year and two years, respectively. [10] [11]

In 1972, the Wells Fargo Center was completed, and has been the tallest building in the city since. [12] [13]

The Portland Building is often considered one of the "ugliest buildings in the world" Portland Building 1982.jpg
The Portland Building is often considered one of the "ugliest buildings in the world"

In 1982, the City of Portland completed the Portland Building. [14] The building provides office space for city employees to supplement the limited space in Portland City Hall. The building, designed by Michael Graves, was unique for its inclusion of a variety of surface materials and colors, small windows, and inclusion of prominent decorative flourishes. [15] When designing the building, Mayor Frank Ivancie wanted a building that stood out, echoing concerns from many in the community that the modernist style made downtowns look boring and lacking of character. [16] The west side of the building is perched by the statue of Portlandia, the "personification of Portland" featured on the Seal of Portland. It is the second largest copper repoussé statue in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty. [17] The Portland Building is often referred to as "one of the ugliest buildings in the world." [18] [19]

In 1983, the U.S. Bancorp Tower was completed. Designed by Pietro Belluschi, the building is notable for it's unique pink color and windows that can absorb or reflect light differently depending upon how much light is upon them, earning it the nickname "Big Pink" by locals. Because of the unique street grid and the way the building was designed, the building looks either extremely slender or wide depending upon one's viewing angle. [20] Since its construction, "Big Pink" has remained the second tallest building in Portland. [21] [22]

The next year, the KOIN Tower, Portland's third tallest building, was completed as part of a redevelopment project. The building is unique for it's orange brick exterior and steel, sloping roof. [23]

21st century

Tallest buildings

The city has had 9 recorded tallest buildings, the longest of which has been the Wells Fargo Center since 1972. The current tallest high-rises and skyscrapers in Portland (as of January 2025) are:

RankNameYearLocationHeight

ft (m)

FloorsTypeSource
1 Wells Fargo Center 1972 Downtown 546 (166.4)40Office [12] [13]
2 U.S. Bancorp Tower

"Big Pink"

1983Downtown536 (163.4)42Office [21] [22]
3 KOIN Tower 1984Downtown509 (155.2)35Office [24] [25]
4 Park Avenue West Tower 2016Downtown501 (153)30Office/Residential [26] [27]
5 Block 216

Ritz-Carlton, Portland

2023Downtown460 (140.2)35Office/Hotel [28]
6 PacWest Center 1984Downtown418 (127.4)30Office [29] [30]
7 Fox Tower 2000Downtown376 (113.4)27Office [31] [32]
8 Standard Insurance Center 1968Downtown367 (111.9)27Office [33] [34]
9 Cosmopolitan on the Park 2016 Pearl District 338 (103.6)28Residential [35] [36]
10 The Ardea 2008 South Waterfront 330 (102.1)31Residential [37] [38]
11 John Ross Tower 2007South Waterfront325 (99.1)32Residential [39] [40]
Mirabella Portland 2010South Waterfront30Residential [41] [42]
12 Multnomah County Central Courthouse 2020Downtown324 (98.8)17Government [43] [44]
13 Congress Center 1980Downtown321 (97.8)23Office [45]
14 Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse 1997Downtown318 (96.9)16Government [46]
15 Moda Tower 1999Downtown308 (93.9)24Office [47]
16 The Meriwether (West Building)2006South Waterfront303 (92.4)24Residential [48]
17 Eleven West 2023Downtown300 (91)24Residential/Office [49]
18 Lloyd Center Tower 1981 Lloyd District 290 (88.4)20Office [50]
19 1000 Broadway 1991Downtown288 (87.8)23Office [51]
20 NV 2016Pearl District288 (87.7)26Residential [52]

Other notable buildings

Other notable buildings in Portland include:

Bridges

The Steel Bridge over the Willamette River SteelBridgePano1.jpg
The Steel Bridge over the Willamette River

Portland has many bridges:

Bridges on the Willamette River

Bridges on the Columbia River

Other bridges

See also

Related Research Articles

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