Rosales at Bright Lights tonight

Tonight at Jimmy Mak’s jazz club at 5:30pm, the Bright Lights discussion series from Portland Spaces magazine and the City Club of Portland continues with Randy Gragg interviewing Boston-based architect Miguel Rosales, designer of Portland’s next bridge over the Willamette.

TriMet is proposing what will be downtown's first new river bridge in 35 years—and the nation's first-ever transit/pedestrian/bicycle bridge. As the press release attests, “It's a trophy in the making to add to Portland's ever-growing mantel of green alt-transport innovations. But, not surprisingly, a debate is emerging over cost and aesthetics.”

The Guatemalan-born, MIT-educated Rosales has led the design of more than 15 major bridges, including the new Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC, the Liberty Bridge in Greenville, South Carolina, the Puente Centenario over the Panama Canal (pictured above) and the Zakim Bridge in Boston (pictured below).

Over the past six months, in collaboration with German engineering firm Schlaich Bergermann and Partners, he has studied a dozen types of bridges for TriMet and the Willamette River Transit Bridge Advisory Committee.

The final two contenders are a cable-stay bridge, which would have towers reaching 270 feet high, and a wave bridge with an undulating open-web truss pattern. The cable-stay, which is more standard, is estimated to cost between $89 million and $93 million, whereas the wave bridge, which has never been built before, could run from $93 million to $119 million.

Will Portland make its decision based on money that will seem like pocket change in a generation, or will the city commit to the best design no matter what? And how much wiggle room for creativity and uniqueness might there be within the more traditional cable-stay design?

One thing I noticed looking at Rosales's designs for the Zakim and Puente Centenario bridges is that they do not appear to be banal, cookie cutter designs at all. Both are quite striking. The cable-stay may not be the best bridge for its context and for the pragmatic requirements of site. However, it does seem that we could be scared off by the notion of the cable-stay being more 'traditional'. After all, the wave's look might not stand the test of time.

I'm not saying I favor the cable-stay. In fact, I previously was explicit in supporting the wave. Now, I'm not sure. What makes me feel better than the choice of either bridge type, though, is knowing there is a talented designer working on the bridge. I've never met Rosales or heard him speak (that could change tonight), but it seems there is genuine reason to be optimistic about his talents.

Comments

[Double J]

Ive spoken with Rosales a bit about this... it seems that the cable stayed design that has been proposed is a more generic one than the Zakim, which is extremely wide. A more customized cable stayed design would cost more... and I'm unconvinced that either design has really addressed the site as a design rather than an engineering problem. Right now it just looks like the wave seems more appropriate to the site. More appropriate doesnt necesarrily mean "specifically atttuned" to the site. They have been tweaking the wave design a lot and hopefully there will be some new images.

All of this ups the ante for the I-5 crossing as well.

[billb]

Right On Dbl J , these are 'Pretty Designs' , but generic , they have nothing to do with the site or the city. The last time we brought in a Name Designer we got the hideous Portland Bldg , and the last time we had a Pdx guy do somethig big , we got the timeless and stunning Pioneer Square. [Thanks Will]. In a City full of talented Professionals , we don't need a carpetbagger. All that money went straight to the east coast instead of to Pdx Designers.
I would like to support Randy Gragg's hope that this does lead to more Front End Design , and even competitions!!!
There is an Exhibit of Artworks for a Green Park Roofed Columbia River Crossing Bridge at The NW Lucky Lab Brewpub [activity rm]

[Double J]

Well Sarah Graham did a great job with the tram ... Also, I dont think we should fear outsiders, that kind of isloationsim doesnt work in the 21st century.

But you are right Portland is a "design city", yet still hasn't fully taken on the responsibilities that self image requires. I'm not talking Dubai style stuff here, simply making design a premium for key public works projects is a big step we have yet to hurdle.

[jorge]

Outsiders have been responsible for some of our greatest parks and open spaces. Everyone oohs and aahs over pioneer courthouse square but it was really the same post modernist product as the Portland Building (just love those columns in the square!). True, Pioneer Courthouse Square is a phenomenal space, but it doesn't take a first year student to understand that you put in a large amphitheater in the middle of a city and people will come.

[j]

i agree jorge

not to minimize the importance of a square's design, but the site is key.
i think with public squares (like PCS, PB5, Jamison), probably half of its success has nothing to do with the actual design of the square itself but rather with the surrounding building heights, street walls and building uses.

but that said pcs is still a good product though.