Building transplant: a fantasy portland

[alexjon]

Well, okay, SOMEWHAT fantasy Portland.

If you could move other buildings into Portland from other cities, what would you move and where would you put it? I think we could tally up some buildings and create a fantasy skyline!

If you want, we could put a realistic element of this and up/down-vote buildings and throw in some rules:

1) No buildings of unrealistic heights. Remember, it's hard to even get a 400 foot building put up, so going over the range of 600-700 feet is really pushing it unless it's iconic and in a realistic location.

2) No heritage/historic buildings. Portland is a city big on building with glass and steel and a lot of grey. It's not San Antonio, TX, where everything is built in tones of beige and brick.

Errr... or we could just have a classic "I wish this was in Portland" post. Either way.

Here's my submission: http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=...r-omaha-ne-usa

I would plop it at Yamhill between 5th and 6th, south side of the block across from the courthouse. I think it would be awesome to look at and would give some sort of balance to the skyline.

[MarkDaMan]

oh my, has Portland fallen so far we are looking to Omaha for buildings?

I'll take the CCTV building...


http://beta.bigmedium.com/bm~pix/cctv~s600x600.jpg

[alexjon]

It's stately, lol. Tall, straightforward, and very standout. I mean, it's in Omaha, but it really would standout even in Chicago!

The CCTV building is AMAZING, though.

[Dr Nevergold]

China is trying to make communism look hip. Err.. I guess its a capitalist dictatorship which is closer to fascism these days. LOL

[zilfondel]

China is trying to make communism look hip. Err.. I guess its a capitalist dictatorship which is closer to fascism these days. LOL

That building was designed by Koolhaas of OMA fame, who is Dutch (he also did Seattle's central library).

China is far from a dictatorship. It has a politburo, a Party, and also a State with different branches of power (ie, executive, legislative, judicial). They even have a Constitution!

=================

But I digress. I'd shoot for something like the Dior store in Tokyo crossed with Shigeru Ban's all-wood curved structures. Or maybe something designed by Jean Nouvelle.

But it wouldn't be a tower... rather, some sort of mid-rise museum, cultural center, or new central library for Portland - either downtown, near the waterfront, Lloyd District or Central Eastside. With a kick-ass facade and prominence!

[PacificNW]

What is the problem with the Doyle designed Central Library? It it is considered a classic (architecturally speaking).

[IHEARTPDX]

I vote for transplanting something like this:

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by PacificNW

What is the problem with the Doyle designed Central Library? It it is considered a classic (architecturally speaking).

1) its puny

2) its boring

[rsbear]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

1) its puny

2) its boring

3) it's your opinion

[PacificNW]

I have used both the "boring" Multnomah County Central Library and the new "iconic" Seattle Public Library....I prefer the Central Library...

[65MAX]

Originally Posted by IHEARTPDX

I vote for transplanting something like this:

Where are these being built? I think they'd go great with our Crayola-colored streetcars.

[tworivers]

But it wouldn't be a tower... rather, some sort of mid-rise museum, cultural center, or new central library for Portland

Amen on the mid-rise cultural amenity. I'd suggest the waterfront. Near a river ferry terminal.

And then tear out the eastbank I-5 and do some rad riverfront architecture a la IHEARTPDX's renderings + a public market.

[PuyoPiyo]

Hmm... Probably the Space Needle from Seattle at somewhere northern of downtown Portland.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by tworivers

Amen on the mid-rise cultural amenity. I'd suggest the waterfront. Near a river ferry terminal.

And then tear out the eastbank I-5 and do some rad riverfront architecture a la IHEARTPDX's renderings + a public market.

Yea! It could also go in on the east side where the freeway is... like the vacant blocks just to the south of the Clarklewis restaurant:
google maps

Originally Posted by PuyoPiyo

Hmm... Probably the Space Needle from Seattle at somewhere northern of downtown Portland.

The location will of course be the most important aspect of any future architecture - and the buildings' suitableness for its site.

I could definitely dig a cool observation tower... the Space Needle rocks, and they are sure fun to visit in Europe!

[IHEARTPDX]

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Where are these being built? I think they'd go great with our Crayola-colored streetcars.

It's the Middlehaven Masterplan for the town of Middlesbrough, UK.
The architecture firm is SMC Alsop. They have some great renderings on that website and some interesting buildings that might transplant well to Portland.

Originally Posted by tworivers

Amen on the mid-rise cultural amenity. I'd suggest the waterfront. Near a river ferry terminal.

And then tear out the eastbank I-5 and do some rad riverfront architecture a la IHEARTPDX's renderings + a public market.

Amen to that tworivers...A nice big and long park with 2-3 museums in it where the eastbank i-5 is would be incredible. I would love to see a Museum of modern art or Museum of Asian art here in Portland...I also think Portland is an excellent candidate for a new Guggenheim museum.

[rsbear]

Originally Posted by PuyoPiyo

Hmm... Probably the Space Needle from Seattle at somewhere northern of downtown Portland.

A tower would be great and I the north end is a great idea. But I would want Portland to put up something more original and better looking than the space needle. It's really looking dated.

[65MAX]

Originally Posted by tworivers

Amen on the mid-rise cultural amenity. I'd suggest the waterfront. Near a river ferry terminal.

And then tear out the eastbank I-5 and do some rad riverfront architecture a la IHEARTPDX's renderings + a public market.

I disagree about the need to tear out I-5. They didn't need to tear out the bridge in Bilbao to built the Guggenheim, they built around it, using it as a visual anchor for the wild forms and geometries of the museum. Likewise, there's NO REASON to tear out the Marquam Bridge and the eastside freeway to get great architecture on the Eastbank. Save the billions of dollars and invest the money in cultural facilities that can be built under, over and on both sides of I-5. Use I-5 as a thread that unifies a string of architectural gems. Turn the freeway into an opportunity, stop treating it as a constraint.

Imagine how dramatic it would be to have the Marquam Bridge touching down on the Eastbank between two wings of a Bilbao-esque masterpiece.

[PuyoPiyo]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

The location will of course be the most important aspect of any future architecture - and the buildings' suitableness for its site.

I could definitely dig a cool observation tower... the Space Needle rocks, and they are sure fun to visit in Europe!

Originally Posted by rsbear

A tower would be great and I the north end is a great idea. But I would want Portland to put up something more original and better looking than the space needle. It's really looking dated.

Agreed, we don't need something that are exactly the same as other structure, but a observation deck would be nice at northern end of downtown because we can see many of old fashional building in front of taller building behind, plus we will be able to see those beautiful valleys and mountains including Mt. Hood at the east view.

[Black Box]

I would love to see an iconic observation tower for downtown Portland. Perhaps the Space Needle does look dated, but that is a part of the charm. 1960's American optimism wrapped in kitsch, or whatever, but it is holding up well for a 45 year old historical landmark. Until then, I'll gladly head to the top of Big Pink for a snack and a cocktail when I'm in Portland.

[Pavlov's Dog]

I want three things for Portland.

1. A Central Eastside waterfront lined with cafes with outdoor seating. I want to be able to sit out in the summer and watch the sun set over the river, downtown and the west hills. I want a nighlife district where you can wander between bars for a couple of miles without having to cross a street full of cars. This district needs to be full of Vancouver style skinny condo towers so you never have to drive anywhere. The constant noise from I-5 is gone. It's been buried under the streets between Hawthorne and I-84. This area will also be full of hotels with easy streetcar access to the convention center and downtown.

Think Riverplace x 20 and with taller, shinier housing. I want this area to rival Sydney and Barcelona.


2. Portland Central Market- The Post Office lot between the Pearl and Union Station is my dream site for this. I want to transplant the best elements from LA's Grove/Farmers Market and Vancouvers Granville Island market. Stretch the site accross the railroad tracks to the river and Albers Mill. I want lots of streetlife. Above the retail I want lots of smallish rentals units in 25 story towers to guarantee a constant population of people who will be spending much of their time at the market.

I want a dense area full of people at all times of the day. It needs to be an area where suburbanites feel at home but where urbanites sensibilities rule the day.

3. A signature tower to be the centerpiece of the skyline. Something like One Libery Place in Philadelphia. It should be a little softer and more rounded. Something like a modernized Chrysler Building.



The height of the building should be 999 ft. The reason being is it's fits the Portland demeanor of sanity and self-restraint.