Seattle Pioneer Square Preservation Board Approves Radical Design

[PacificNW]

I think there could be more discussion in Portland on whether to design/or not projects like this in our historic districts.

Btw, notice the architectural firm?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018220306_northlot17.html?cmpid=2628

[tworivers]

I think there could be more discussion in Portland on whether/or not to allow projects like this in our historic districts.

Truly. So far Portland has shown itself to be more of a provincial backwater than a cosmopolitan city with the confidence to artfully combine old and new.

[PacificNW]

👏👏

[MarkDaMan]

You have some passionate people, no doubt with good will in their heart, that want to see the current historic stock in OT/CT restored to be the stars, and new builds can only be nondescript background infill.

I very much appreciate all that Art DeMuro has done for this city and the buildings he's restored, but he's a huge stumbling block to progress. His opinion is very respected, and he served as chairman for years on the Historic Landmarks Commission, but his ideas of what that area should become, I believe, has kept it where it is. It also has contributed to a scaled back Portland Saturday Market canopy design as well as a much more conservative Mercy Corps building than what we could have received. He even had problems with the originally proposed penthouse additional on the OCOM building leaving us with now what looks like a utility house instead of a stunning modern addition to the building. I think he was even the main force that caused the penthouse on the Vestas building to be redesign into a block penthouse, from a proposed curved roof.

[PacificNW]

Thanks for the background info, Mark.....maybe it's time for some changes in leadership on this commission...

[MarkDaMan]

Art is no longer on the commission, but he still loudly expresses his opinion. As I mentioned, his opinion holds much sway. Not much different than the anti-rail supporters expressing their opinions, presenting themselves as if they are the majority.

[PacificNW]

Sometimes I wonder where the local architecture firms stand on these issues. I am sure they offer input regarding these historical districts and what could/should be designed/built on demolished structures or surface parking lots. The apartment building that passed the commission in Seattle was designed by a branch of ZGF...I wonder if they are interested in pushing the envelop in Portland? OR, new development in the Lloyd District might be more interesting if a few new towers were signature/iconic pieces of architecture. I know money will end up being the deciding factor but these developers are building interesting architecture in other American cities. I remember, at one time, there was talk about adding floors to the Black Box tower in South Portland. The talk was to add boxes set on top of one another...similar to the above rendering. Too bad it never happened.

[davehogan]

Originally Posted by PacificNW

OR, new development in the Lloyd District might be more interesting if a few new towers were signature/iconic pieces of architecture. I know money will end up being the deciding factor but these developers are building interesting architecture in other American cities.

Cities like San Francisco, NY, LA, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, etc all demand much higher prices than Portland. There just isn't enough demand for high end apartments/office space/condos/etc in Portland to justify spending the extra cash on construction.

Unfortunately it will take a while for Portland to grow to that level of city. Fortunately, it's still affordable to live near the city center and should be for a while.

[65MAX]

Good or cutting edge design doesn't have to be more expensive than mediocre design. It's commissions like OT/CT that stand in the way of innovative design, not the cost of construction.

[philopdx]

Yeah I agree, I've seen proposal after proposal watered down from their original vision because it didn't fit into the "historical" fabric of Portland. It's high time for new thinking in this town.

If people really care about preserving time capsules, then they should hitch a ride on a horse and buggy over to Forest Grove or Milwaukie and keep the dreams of soda fountains and drive-in theaters frozen in a resin of 1955 technicolor. That way, we could avoid the cost of building a flux capacitor, not to mention scrounging up a 1982 Delorean on Ebay.

Just an idea.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by philopdx

It's high time for new thinking in this town.

THIS.

We all know that Portland is a special place, but we should be protecting it from stagnation rather than protecting it from progress. Imagine if architects from the eras we now try to protect were forced to water down their work?

While it's certainly not historic (not yet, anyway) KOIN Tower is a perfect example of this cycle. When KOIN was proposed, people freaked out. "OH NO! I'm going to lose my view of Mt. Hood!" Now, those same people would scream "OH MO! I'm going to lose my view of the KOIN!" FACEPALM.

The future is coming whether we want it to or not. The question is, what will our era add to the fabric of the city we give it?

...I realize that I'm preaching to the choir.

[PacificNW]

[PacificNW]

Originally Posted by philopdx

Yeah I agree, I've seen proposal after proposal watered down from their original vision because it didn't fit into the "historical" fabric of Portland. It's high time for new thinking in this town.

If people really care about preserving time capsules, then they should hitch a ride on a horse and buggy over to Forest Grove or Milwaukie and keep the dreams of soda fountains and drive-in theaters frozen in a resin of 1955 technicolor. That way, we could avoid the cost of building a flux capacitor, not to mention scrounging up a 1982 Delorean on Ebay.

Just an idea.