Quote:
Originally Posted by 65MAX
GE = Gerding/Edlen, a local development company here.
NO, no space needle going here, that's so '60's and like you said, everybody has one or something similar, so how would that distinguish Portland from other cities? I think the Tram helps in that regard, nobody has one like it, and it's very photogenic.
|
At oregonstadiumcampaign.com a year or two ago I mentioned a concept for a pyramid type (open with four legs, one for each corner) structure over the Memorial Coliseum (MC) with an observation deck and resturant level. Escalators and stairs would offer views all the way up (for a fee) on two of the legs (Northwest leg near the Boardway Bridge and the Southeast leg to be near the Rose Quarter Transit Center and the Oregon Convention Center). The other two legs would for resturant support and egress access. The Willamette River bends there creating perfect viewing angles and places it in the ideal location for PDX Central City visuals. This would work even easier if the MC land was converted to a MLB Stadium site and the open pyramid structure was phase two. The four legs of the pyramid structure would also be used for the system (canvas or other light weight material) for covering the MLB field and stands on those late Spring/early Fall rain days. Think the Northwests' largest umbrella.
I had mentioned to a Talk to Vera Oregonlive process years ago about making the Tram able to have expansion capability and it seems with the open corridor to the East Bank of the Willamette, this might be in the plans for the distant future.
If this happens and the Marquam Bridge does finally become obsolete and is replaced by a tunnel or removed for some other configuration of assets; then the Tram could reach its greatest iconic and tourist possibility on the East Bank.
Going from the Brooklyn Area and offering views all the way up to the Observation Deck of Mt Hood II at the MC. and making the structure open reduces most mountain view issues from the West.
There you have your Portland architecture touchstone incorperating the Tram; perfect river location; views in all different directions; money maker for the city; multiple functionality for transportation/tourism/possible stadium upgrade; perfect public/private investment that generates demand and revenue.
This is something for twenty years from now.
Maybe we need two or three threads for iconic possibilities in SEA, PDX, and Spokane.
Ray Whitford