Architecture in Portland, Oregon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portland architecture includes a number of notable buildings, a wide range of styles, and a few notable pioneering architects.
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 with one of the largest collections of LEED-accredited "green" buildings in the U. S., though the city is better-known for its focus on urban planning.
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[edit] 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) and Michael Graves. Local architects Francis Marion Stokes and his father William R. Stokes, whose combined works include over 270 buildings from 1882 to the 1960s, also had a major influence on the city's architecture.
[edit] Skyscrapers
The ten tallest skyscrapers in Portland (as of June 2005) are:
- Wells Fargo Center (546 ft./166 m., completed 1972)
- US Bancorp Tower (536 ft./163 m., completed 1983)
- KOIN Center (509 ft./155 m., completed 1984)
- PacWest Center (418 ft./127 m., completed 1984)
- Fox Tower (436 ft./133 m., completed 2000)
- Standard Insurance Center (112 m., completed 1971)
- Congress Center (98 m., completed 1980)
- Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse (318 ft/97 m., completed 1997)
- ODS Tower (94 m., completed 1999)
- 1000 Broadway (244 ft./88 m., completed 1991)
In addition:
- Fremont Bridge (556 ft./169m., completed 1973)
- Saint Johns Bridge (390 ft./119m., completed 1931)
- John Ross Tower (325 ft./99 m., under construction 2007)
- Block 38 (325 ft./99m., under construction 2007)
[edit] Other notable buildings
Other notable buildings in Portland include:
- The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, a restored historic theater (formerly The Paramount) and accompanying Heathman Hotel.
- The Benson Hotel, an elegant, restored historic hotel.
- Pietro Belluschi's Equitable Building was the first aluminum-clad building and the first to be completely sealed with an air-conditioned environment.
- Lloyd Center mall - The world's largest mall when it opened in the summer of 1960.
- The Meier & Frank Building- Meier & Frank's full-block, glazed terra-cotta flagship department store.
- Oregon Convention Center's twin spires are a prominent feature on the eastside skyline.
- The Pittock Mansion is a popular tourist attraction.
- The Portland Public Service Building by Michael Graves, the first major post-modern building constructed in the US.
- Rose Garden Arena, home of the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Union Station- An active Florentine-style train station with a 150 ft. clock tower.
- Pioneer Courthouse, the oldest federal building in the Pacific Northwest and the second-oldest west of the Mississippi River.
- One of the largest collections of Cast iron architecture in the United States, primarily in Old Town
[edit] Bridges
Portland has twelve bridges:
[edit] Bridges on the Willamette River
- Fremont Bridge (1973, Half-through tied arch)
- Marquam Bridge (1966, Through truss)
- Morrison Bridge (1958, Bascule draw)
- St. Johns Bridge (1931, Suspension)
- Burnside Bridge (1926, Bascule draw)
- Ross Island Bridge (1926, Cantilever truss)
- Sellwood Bridge (1925, Steel deck truss)
- Broadway Bridge (1913, Bascule truss)
- Steel Bridge (1912, cars/1925, trains; Steel through-truss, double-deck lift)
- Hawthorne Bridge (1910, Through truss, vertical lift)
[edit] Bridges on the Columbia River
- Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge (1982, Segregated concrete box girder)
- Interstate Bridge (1917/1958, Through truss, vertical lift)
| Notable Portland, Oregon architecture Skyscrapers: Wells Fargo Center | US Bancorp Tower | KOIN Center | PacWest Center | Fox Tower | Standard Insurance Center | Congress Center | Hatfield U.S. Courthouse | ODS Tower | 1000 Broadway | Union Bank of California Tower | Lloyd Center Tower Other buildings: Meier & Frank Building | Benson Hotel | Commonwealth (Equitable) Building | Portland Public Service Building | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | Oregon Convention Center | Union Station | Pittock Mansion | Pioneer Courthouse |
