Architectural Guidebook to Portland Author Seeks Input for Second Edition

Since it was first published in 2001, Bart King’s An Architectural Guidebook to Portland has proven an invaluable resource, cataloging most of the city’s most significant buildings and providing insightful, often entertaining commentary. Recently Portland Architecture was contacted by the author with news that a Second Edition is in the works.

Bart King is seeking input from readers and architectural enthusiasts in general on any changes and additions to the book.

Obviously a lot has happened since King’s book came out five years ago. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 caused all of us to, however temporarily, rethink the very existence of the modern skyscraper. Here in Portland, there are numerous buildings that have been erected since the First Edition of the Guidebook, particularly condos. Of these, I told Bart that I thought Holst's Belmont Lofts and the Zimmer Gunsul Frasa/Ankrom Moisan's Eliot Condos were particularly noteworthy. But there are non-condos of significance as well. For example, Thomas Hacker Architects has designed a string of beautiful libraries in Portland. I’d like to see the Woodstock and Hillsdale branches included—they’re both contemporary architectural jewels.

But the biggest and most significant development of the last five years, I’d say, would have to be the Brewery Blocks. We can debate the finer points of those five individual buildings—I really like the two ones fronting Burnside the best, for example, but am less fond of the Henry, and somewhat undecided about the Louisa—but Gerding/Edlen Development and GBD Architects were phenomenally successful in creating a vibrant urban place. Oh, and of course the Armory, currently being transformed into a theater for Portland Center Stage, should be in there as well.

That said, of course big projects have been going up ceaselessly in the Pearl and South Waterfront. What to include from here? None of the South Waterfront buildings are even finished, but I think the OHSU Center for Health & Healing (previously known as River Campus Building One) is very significant given its ultra high performance with respect to energy and other natural resource usage. (Disclosure: I did some paid writing about the project for one member of the building team.)

In the Pearl, from a design standpoint I think the two new parks there, Jamison Square and Tanner Springs, are the most noteworthy. But if someone wants to argue for new condos like The Pinnacle, The Metropolitan or some other structure there or on the boards, by all means speak up. IF there's an Achilles' heel to the Pearl, it's the fact that there are few buildings in this area that aren't condos. I can think of one wonderful exception that ought to be in the Guidebook, though, the newly remodeled Bridgeport brewery.

I'd also like to see some pages devoted to the best buildings here that never happened in Portland, or the ones that were supposed to be designed by a world-renowned architect but weren't. In the latter case, the Libertery Center office building near Lloyd Center comes to mind (originally to be designed by Cesar Pelli, ended up GBD) as does the Casey Eye Institute at OHSU (originally Richard Meier, eventually GBD again).

If there’s a building from the last five years you’d like to see in the book, or an older building you believe was improperly kept out of the previous addition, feel free to comment here or email the author. Mr. King has promised he will take reader suggestions into account. Meanwhile, look for the Second Edition of the Architectural Guidebook to Portland later this year from Oregon State University Press. (Go Ducks!)

Comments

[ligedog]

Oregon State - Go Ducks?

[Brian]

I wasn't confusing the two schools/teams. I just wrote "Go Ducks" at the end to be contrarian because I'm a Ducks fan and I was writing about Oregon State.

[crow]

i think you would be pretty hard pressed to find anything about Liberty Centre from Ceser Pelli. My recollection of that event was that when it was discovered there was about half the price for the skin as a typical CP building, that he had to pardon himself with having done nothing more than a couple museum board boxes. it is funny it always sounds so glamorous to invite the "world class" architects to build in our city, yet then you can't find a client or funds to back their work?? it comes as a shock that great work costs some extra money - go figure! I believe the same went for the Meier building at OHSU, which was 400% over budget and it was not negotiable with the Meier office. not every business is a patron of the architect. sometimes it takes more than money to put together a building, and in both cases GBD was able to put together the building - maybe not star power, but respectful - IMOHO.

brian - one to add to your list would be the 1000 Broadway - from the early sketches to what it is - that has to be a big WTF - after all the same office created both.??