The Cosmopolitan | 341' | 28 floors | Completed

[i2m]

Nice photos of the Cosmo.

I think Joe Weston got his flag pole although I don't think there will be a flag...unless the HOA wants one which isn't likely.

[maccoinnich]

I can assure that the flag was flying yesterday. You can (just) see it in the photo I posted.

[cailes]

Those prices are nuts...

The flag is indeed flying. Ive seen it the past few nights. The light up there is bright!

[maccoinnich]

Peter Walker's 2002 Riverfront District Open Space Plan is now complete between Jamison Square and the Fields.

[i2m]

I like how the cosmopolitan has turned out. The quality is far above that of most recent buildings and I'm impressed that HOYT has leased most of the retail so quickly. Once the retail is in and operating, this block will be great.

Peter Walker's master plan has been completed to an extent although the real power of his vision was lost in the Fields Park. The City didn't follow through with Centennial Mills redevelopment and therefor there was no need for the pedestrian bridge linking the 3 new parks to the River. Baron Meyers also veered far from Peter's vision of the Fields by ditching the board walk, the pedestrian bridge and the geometry of Peter's master plan which allowed each of the three parks to be different yet part of a family of urban spaces.

I don't dislike the Fields, I just think Carol tried too hard to be 'different' and she ignored most of Peter's vision.

If the three parks, I think Peter's park is by far the strongest design.

[tworivers]

Overall I give the Cosmopolitan a thumbs up. I walked around it last week a few times taking in the details.

I'm not totally sold on the ground level. I think it could have used a bit more differentiation from the rest of the building and/or more transparency. The flashing around the bottom looks a bit clunky, too.

I'm unable to get behind Weston's flag, which is highly visible from the Fields especially. It violates the integrity of the architecture and adds a bit of hayseed-ism (or maybe just corny-old-man-ism) to the top of a very prominent and sleek tower.

I think Tanner Springs is my favorite of the 3 parks, although I love all of them. Having it surrounded by buildings on all 4 sides really adds to the vibe there, too. It is kind of a bummer that the boardwalk just ends unceremoniously in the Fields -- but I did see somewhere (Comp Plan?) that the city is still planning to build a ped bridge over the tracks to Centennial Mills/the river at some point. So maybe all is not lost with the most important connection in Walker's overall plan.

This whole area is just a massive, massive success.

[hotwheels]

Cosmopolitan on the Park a Cornerstone of Pearl District's Evolution

Portland's Pearl District, a large swath of land in the northwest of Oregon's largest municipality, is an exercise in urban reincarnation. What was once a corner of the city devoted to industrial uses and transportation has been transformed into a mixed-use neighbourhood of contemporary residences, expansive offices, and successful shops and restaurants.

[maccoinnich]

Bora's Brad Demby talks about The Cosmopolitan, now Portland's tallest residential building



BY BRIAN LIBBY

Although Portland is growing and building in nearly every corner these days amidst a construction (and demolition) boom, in the 21st century no neighborhood has represented our city's transformation more than the Pearl district, where a one-time industrial enclave has given way to a forest of condominium towers.

But there have always been two distinct halves to the Pearl: its southern portion closest to Downtown, where new buildings take inspiration from the old warehouses, and the northern portion, redeveloped from former rail yards where there is no existing architectural context and the designs are more strictly contemporary. And for the most part, the northern Pearl has come to have taller buildings than the southern Pearl. In particular, as development has reached the district's northern terminus, the Fremont Bridge, there have been taller, skinnier buildings sitting on podiums - sometimes known as point towers.

The latest such building is now the tallest residential work of architecture in the city: The Cosmopolitan, designed by Bora Architects (formerly known as Boora) for developer Hoyt Street Properties.

Recently, after touring The Cosmopolitan with Bora's Brad Demby, we discussed the design of the building, its inspiration and context.

...continues at Portland Architecture.

[RED_PDXer]

I've been outside around this building on several occasions and it's hard to believe it's the tallest residential building in the city. It's hardly noticeable. It's nice, yes, but not intrusive at all. This all begs to question the City's height limits which are ridiculous IMHO. The only people that seem to complain are those who have a personal stake (aka "view") in it. Am I wrong?

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by RED_PDXer

I've been outside around this building on several occasions and it's hard to believe it's the tallest residential building in the city. It's hardly noticeable. It's nice, yes, but not intrusive at all. This all begs to question the City's height limits which are ridiculous IMHO. The only people that seem to complain are those who have a personal stake (aka "view") in it. Am I wrong?

I wouldn't say it is hardly noticeable, it sticks out quite a bit on the northend of the skyline. While I do agree the height limits might be a bit ridiculous, I don't think it is really that big of a deal.

[maccoinnich]

Michelin Guide-Recognized Restaurant from Barcelona to Expand to Portland’s Pearl District
Can Font Portland is moving into the Cosmopolitan building



Restaurante Can Font is a traditional Catalan restaurant located in an ornate villa in the countryside near Barcelona, Spain, and Eater has learned it is preparing to open a second location in The Pearl District of Portland in early 2017. Speaking with Eater, co-owner Vladimir Zaharchook-Williams says Can Font Portland will serve “traditional Catalan fine cuisine with locally sourced products in a modern Northwest atmosphere.” It will be located in the Cosmopolitan building at 1075 NW Northrup St. (see architectural renderings below) and hopes to open this January.

Along with Zaharchook-Williams, Can Font is owned by executive chef Joseph Vidal, who will serve as executive chef of the Portland kitchen. In Spain, Vidal’s Can Font is included in the 2016 Michelin guide. It does not currently have a Michelin star.

...continues at Eater PDX.

[maccoinnich]

Barcelona-Based Can Font Serves Its First Paella Tomorrow; Take a Tour



As the photos show above, the 60-seat Can Font restaurant and bar is bringing its sophisticated Spanish style to the Pearl District, when it opens tomorrow, June 3, at 1015 NW Northrup St. Sleek wooden seats line the bar, and geometric baffles divide the dining room. The white table clothes communicate refinement, but an entire wall featuring its Spanish estate invites a playful atmosphere. It all combines to mirror the mood set by Chef Josep Vidal’s traditional-meets-modern cooking style.

Take a tour of the promising new Spanish restaurant in the gallery above. Can Font opens June 3 at 5 p.m. Moving forward, it'll operate Monday through Saturday, from 5 to 10 p.m., and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (brunch served till 4 p.m.).

...continues at Eater PDX.

[tworivers]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

...continues at Eater PDX.

I'm really excited to check out this restaurant but as the owner of a retail business I can't imagine signing a lease for one of those spaces. The great failure of the Cosmopolitan IMO is the ground floor, which is opaque, cold, grey, colorless, undifferentiated from the floors above, and with zero gestures to the beautiful parks on either side. I was just riding by Couch 9 the other day thinking that it's a nice example of a building turning out better than the renderings suggested that it might; the Cosmo suffers from the exact opposite problem in that the renderings were very sexy, some of the sexiest I've ever seen, and the building turned out meh in reality (nicer the farther away you get from it, i.e. looks great in the skyline from a distance).

[2oh1]

Tworivers, you're so right. I love the Cosmopolitan tower, but the ground floor is very cold and imposing. The easiest example is to look at the ground floor of the Sitka across the street. I think the Cosmo is a work of art compared to the Sitka (though I do like the Sitka), but look at how inviting the ground floor of the Sitka is. I love the Cosmo, but the ground floor looks cold.

[Leo]

To each his own, I guess. I really like the ground floor of the Cosmopolitan – it’s nice to have at least one building that is just clean, simple, and beautiful without needing to get all cute and quirky. The lobby is gorgeous and not at all imposing like the Wyatt or the Metropolitan, and both the Tea Bar and Can Font spaces are beautiful spaces.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by Leo

To each his own, I guess. I really like the ground floor of the Cosmopolitan – it’s nice to have at least one building that is just clean, simple, and beautiful without needing to get all cute and quirky. The lobby is gorgeous and not at all imposing like the Wyatt or the Metropolitan, and both the Tea Bar and Can Font spaces are beautiful spaces.

I agree with you, the Cosmopolitan has such an elegant look to it, even at the ground floor.

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by tworivers

The great failure of the Cosmopolitan IMO is the ground floor, which is opaque, cold, grey, colorless, undifferentiated from the floors above, and with zero gestures to the beautiful parks on either side....the Cosmo suffers from the exact opposite problem in that the renderings were very sexy, some of the sexiest I've ever seen, and the building turned out meh in reality (nicer the farther away you get from it, i.e. looks great in the skyline from a distance).

Agreed.