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Architecture of Portland, Oregon

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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.

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

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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

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Portland building concentrations
Downtown
Lloyd District
South Waterfront
Pearl District
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

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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.

Meier & Frank Building (1909), Seward Hotel (1909), American Bank Building (1913), Oregon Journal Building (1912), United States National Bank Building (1917)

Late 20th century

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Standard Insurance Center (1970)
U.S. Bancorp Tower (1983)
KOIN Tower (1984)

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"

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

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Tallest buildings

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See also: List of tallest buildings in Portland, Oregon

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:

Rank Name Year Location Height

ft (m)

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

"Big Pink"

1983 Downtown 536 (163.4) 42 Office [21][22]
3 KOIN Tower 1984 Downtown 509 (155.2) 35 Office [24][25]
4 Park Avenue West Tower 2016 Downtown 501 (153) 30 Office/Residential [26][27]
5 Block 216

Ritz-Carlton, Portland

2023 Downtown 460 (140.2) 35 Office/Hotel [28]
6 PacWest Center 1984 Downtown 418 (127.4) 30 Office [29][30]
7 Fox Tower 2000 Downtown 376 (113.4) 27 Office [31][32]
8 Standard Insurance Center 1968 Downtown 367 (111.9) 27 Office [33][34]
9 Cosmopolitan on the Park 2016 Pearl District 338 (103.6) 28 Residential [35][36]
10 The Ardea 2008 South Waterfront 330 (102.1) 31 Residential [37][38]
11 John Ross Tower 2007 South Waterfront 325 (99.1) 32 Residential [39][40]
Mirabella Portland 2010 South Waterfront 30 Residential [41][42]
12 Multnomah County Central Courthouse 2020 Downtown 324 (98.8) 17 Government [43][44]
13 Congress Center 1980 Downtown 321 (97.8) 23 Office [45]
14 Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse 1997 Downtown 318 (96.9) 16 Government [46]
15 Moda Tower 1999 Downtown 308 (93.9) 24 Office [47]
16 The Meriwether (West Building) 2006 South Waterfront 303 (92.4) 24 Residential [48]
17 Eleven West 2023 Downtown 300 (91) 24 Residential/Office [49]
18 Lloyd Center Tower 1981 Lloyd District 290 (88.4) 20 Office [50]
19 1000 Broadway 1991 Downtown 288 (87.8) 23 Office [51]
20 NV 2016 Pearl District 288 (87.7) 26 Residential [52]

Other notable buildings

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Other notable buildings in Portland include:

Bridges

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The Steel Bridge over the Willamette River

Portland has many bridges:

Bridges on the Willamette River

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Bridges on the Columbia River

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Other bridges

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kamin, Blair (2009-09-18). "Green buildings: Chicago tops U.S. cities on group's list". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  2. ^ "911 Federal Building". U.S. General Services Administration. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  3. ^ "State of Oregon: Blue Book - State Buildings". sos.oregon.gov. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  4. ^ "Yeon Skyscraper Starts March 10". (February 6, 1910). The Sunday Oregonian, Section 4, p. 12.
  5. ^ a b King, Bart (2001). An Architectural Guidebook to Portland. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith. p. 25. ISBN 9780879059910.
  6. ^ "American Bank Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 14, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  7. ^ "Hilton Portland Hotel". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  8. ^ Edwards, Herman (April 17, 1962). "Statewide Picketing In Effect". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  9. ^ "Harrison West Condominium Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  10. ^ "Union Bank of California Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  11. ^ "Standard Insurance Center". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Wells Fargo Center". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Wells Fargo Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  14. ^ "Portland Building gets a place on national history list". Portland Tribune. November 17, 2011. Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  15. ^ Weiner, Ed (October 18, 1981). "The most famous building in Seattle is in Portland: Michael Graves' new building is an architectural milestone and is anything but boring". The Seattle Times, p. E1/E4.
  16. ^ Crick, Rolla J. (October 7, 1985). "Thousands bid ‘Portlandia’ warm welcome: Statue lifted successfully to final spot". The Oregonian. p. A1.
  17. ^ Warren, Stuart & Ted Ishikawa. Oregon Handbook. Moon Publications, 1991.
  18. ^ "The Portland Building". Accidentally Wes Anderson. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  19. ^ Wong, Bunny (October 2009). "The World's Ugliest Buildings". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  20. ^ Hayakawa, Alan R. (November 27, 1983). "Pink granite, reflective glass triumph of design for bank tower". The Oregonian. Living section, p. 14.
  21. ^ a b "U.S. Bancorp Tower". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  22. ^ a b "US Bancorp Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  23. ^ Schmertz, Mildred F. (1995). Zimmer Gunsul Frasca: Building Community. Rockport, MA: Rockport Publishing. ISBN 1-56496-197-4.
  24. ^ "KOIN Center". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  25. ^ "KOIN Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  26. ^ "Park Avenue West". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  27. ^ "Park Avenue West Tower, Portland | 291515 | EMPORIS". Emporis. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  28. ^ Orr, Donald. "Groundbreaking Held For Portland Ritz-Carlton At Shuttered Food Cart Site". www.opb.org. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  29. ^ "Pacwest Center". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  30. ^ "Pacwest Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  31. ^ "Fox Tower". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  32. ^ "Fox Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  33. ^ "Standard Insurance Center". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  34. ^ "Standard Insurance Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  35. ^ "Cosmopolitan on the Park". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  36. ^ "Cosmopolitan on the Park". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  37. ^ "The Ardea". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  38. ^ "The Ardea". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  39. ^ "The John Ross Tower". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  40. ^ "The John Ross Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  41. ^ "Mirabella". The Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  42. ^ "Mirabella Portland". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  43. ^ "Historic moment as county breaks ground on new courthouse". Multnomah County Communications. October 4, 2016. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  44. ^ Deutsch, Marilyn (October 5, 2020). "New Multnomah County Courthouse opens after four years of construction". KPTV. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  45. ^ "Congress Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  46. ^ "Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  47. ^ "ODS Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  48. ^ "The Meriwether, West Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  49. ^ Jensen, Alex (4 April 2023). "11W arrives with office space, apartments and more". Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  50. ^ "Lloyd Center Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  51. ^ "1000 Broadway". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  52. ^ "NV Portland". Emporis. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
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