- Architecture of Portland, Oregon
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 thoughtfulurban planning andlivability .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.
Architects
Well-known architect
Pietro Belluschi began his career in Portland with the prolific firm ofA.E. Doyle , leaving his imprint upon the city until the 1980s. Other notable architects and firms who have worked in Portland areSkidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM),Michael Graves ,Cass Gilbert ,Rapp and Rapp , Daniel Burnham & Co.,Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF),Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF) and Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works. Local architects that have had a large influence on Portland's architecture includeFrancis Marion Stokes and his father William R. Stokes (combined works include over 270 buildings from 1882 to the 1960s), the Victorian-era architectWarren H. Williams (architect of several surviving cast-iron buildings including theBlagen Block as well as the stick-gothic Old Church) andWhidden & Lewis (architects ofPortland City Hall , the long demolishedPortland Hotel , theWeinhard Brewery Complex , several office buildings on SW 3rd Ave. and numerous residences).Skyscrapers
The tallest skyscrapers in Portland (as of August 2008) 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 (376 ft., completed 2000)
#Standard Insurance Center (112 m., completed 1971)
#John Ross Tower (325 ft./99m., completed 2007)
#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 (288 ft./88 m., completed 1991)Under construction:
*
Park Avenue West Tower (515 Feet, U/C March 2008)
*The Ardea (325 Feet, U/C 2007)
*The Alexan (230 Feet, U/C 2007)
*The Encore (175 Feet, U/C 2007)
*ZGF Tower
*Ladd Tower Other notable buildings
Other notable buildings in Portland include:
*
The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall , a restored historic theater (formerly The Paramount) and accompanyingHeathman Hotel .
*TheBenson 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.
*TheMeier & Frank Building -Meier & Frank 's full-block, glazed terra-cotta flagshipdepartment store .
*Oregon Convention Center 's twin spires are a prominent feature on the eastside skyline.
*ThePittock Mansion is a popular tourist attraction.
*ThePortland Public Service Building byMichael Graves , the first majorpost-modern building constructed in the US.
*Rose Garden Arena , home of thePortland Trail Blazers .
*Union Station- An active Florentine-style train station with a 150 ft.clock tower .
*Pioneer Courthouse , the oldest federal building in thePacific Northwest and the second-oldest west of theMississippi River .
*One of the largest collections ofCast iron architecture in the United States, primarily in Old Town. A classic example of such construction isThe Grand Stable & Carriage Building , built by the Oregon business pioneer Simeon Reed.Bridges
Portland has many bridges:
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)Bridges on the Columbia River
*
Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge (1982, Segregated concrete box girder)
*Interstate Bridge (1917/1958, Through truss, vertical lift)Other bridges
*
Vista Bridge ee also
* List of Registered Historic Places in Portland
External links
* [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?c29 Skyscraperpage.com diagram of Portland's buildings by height]
* [http://spot.pcc.edu/~dkirby/student_sites/samuelklein52/final/index.html PCC.edu: Guide to Portland's Bridges]
* [http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=146276 City of Portland's List of Historic Landmarks] (Excel spreadsheet)
* [http://www.af-oregon.org/afo.php?section=look Architecture Foundation of Oregon - Look Around Guide to Portland Architecture]
* [http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=146270 Bibliography of Portland Architecture and Architectural History]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=108385936749983664871.000455c6feffbe10e226f Portland Oregon Architecture: An Architectural Map]
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