Archinect - News

Portland Building is no longer historically significant

2019-06-13T16:58:00-04:00

A new audit conducted by the city of Portland, Oregon presents an alarming view into the contentious renovations currently being undertaken for the Michael Graves-designed Portland Building.

Among a flurry of critiques aimed at the project organizers, the report states that changes performed to the building's outward material configuration have been so transformative as to effectively nullify the iconic postmodern tower's historical significance.

The report warns: "Despite the importance of historic preservation, there was no minimum requirement identified for this project principle. The project team [only] identified an aspirational goal and anticipated benefit to 'maintain the historic and iconic status of the building.'"

The Portland Building in 1982, Image courtesy of Wikimedia user Steve Morgan.

The project, guided by a desire to mitigate water infiltration along the building's concrete facade, will essentially re-skin the 15-story tower with a pressed aluminum rainscreen desi...

Save, renovate or demolish: Postmodernism's midlife crisis

2018-12-27T21:51:00-05:00

Heading into their fourth and fifth decades, deep into midlife architectural crises, needing face-lifts, they’re now vulnerable and back again in the public eye, eliciting concern and attracting a second look — and sympathy — even from people who never liked them. But will these loved-hated structures be saved, and should they?

Joseph Giovannini writes about the historic vulnerability buildings entering their fourth or fifth decade encounter and how the public distaste may, potentially, turn into a sudden nostalgia for certain veterans of a not-so-distant architectural era.

Citing recent controversial efforts to demolish or renovate PoMo landmarks, like Johnson & Burgee's AT&T Building, Graves’s Portland Building, or Venturi Scott Brown's Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Giovannini writes: "The irony of purposely ironic buildings that joked with history is that they are themselves verging on history, and history more than beauty is proving their strongest defense."

The iconic Portland Building's postmodern, multicolored facade is dismantled

2018-03-09T16:09:00-05:00

Designed by Michael Graves, the pioneering Portland Building is at once considered to be a postmodern icon as well as the "ugliest building in Oregon". A rectangular block of four, heavily ornamented, salmon and turquoise facades, the building can easily be likened to a small, fancy French cake. But, beyond the merits of its aesthetics, the 15-story office tower has also been criticized for its structural mishaps that include seismic deficiencies and water intrusions issues.

Concern over these flaws, as well as a healthy dose of po-mo hate, have led to long held discussions regarding its potential destruction. In 2015, the conversation was finally brought to head when the city decided to move forward with a major, $195 million reconstruction of the building.

Photo by Joakim Lord. Courtesy of Docomomo Oregon.

The rebuild, which was approved by the Landmarks Commission due to the building's historical significance, will mean updates to the building's operating systems and seismic retr...

Michael Graves reports that the Portland Building will be saved

2014-12-22T12:18:00-05:00

“It’s going to be saved,” Graves said. “They told me… They said they are saving the building and not only that but we want you to sit on a committee for the redesign.” Graves added that a time frame for the work has not been set but “I would imagine in the next year we’ll do something.” Dana Haynes, communications director for Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, confirmed that the Portland Building is not under threat of demolition and will continue to house city employees.

Law breakers, prize winners, bird flippers: Weekly News Round-Up for October 20, 2014

2014-10-27T17:53:00-04:00

Friday, October 24:

Architecture in Flux: Reporting from ACADIA Conference, Day 1: The Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture has changed a lot since its inception in the early 1980s; the conference takes a look at the present moment of "digital design" practice, while that term still exists.

Thursday, October 23:

Frank Gehry gives the crowd a piece of his mind (and his middle finger): At a press conference in Oviedo, Spain, in response to a reporter's insinuation that his architecture was "showy". Frank Gehry is 85 years old.
Keep Portland Architecture Weird!: Episode 3 of Archinect Sessions out now: Feat. special guest Brian Libby, we discuss the trials and tribulations of Michael Graves' Portland Building, and The Guardian's speculations on Obama's presidential library.
Denver's Union Station is lacking diversity and local critic places the blame on the architecture: The Denver Post's fine arts critic sees a lack of diversity at Union Station's multi-use redesign, and...

Preservation politics and pricey prizes: Weekly News Round-Up for October 14, 2014

2014-10-20T20:51:00-04:00

Sunday, October 19:

The Portland Building: Architect Michael Graves fiercely defends his controversial creation against demolition: According to The Oregonian's piece, the architect does not think any of the problems are by his design, but rather its application under budgetary and civic constraints.

Thursday, October 16:

Unesco threatens to put Venice on its Heritage at Risk list: Responding to corruption and mismanagement of environmental risks by the Venetian government, UNESCO may have to declare Venice a "Heritage at Risk".

Wednesday, October 15:

Honolulu Law Criminalizes Homelessness: It is now a misdemeanor in the popular tourist destination of Waikiki to "sit or lie on sidewalks", punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a maximum $1,000 fine.

Tuesday, October 14:

Maya Lin wins the 21st Annual $300K Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize: At $300,000 USD, the prize is one of the US's largest, afforded to artists working to affect social change.
Petrified Forest buildings named national treasu...

The Portland Building: Architect Michael Graves fiercely defends his controversial creation against demolition

2014-10-19T17:22:00-04:00

Graves came out swinging. "I saw some people outside selling tomatoes," he said. "I have no idea what that meant." He complained about his treatment in the local news media: "350 buildings, and I don't have this treatment anywhere else. . . Usually when I revisit buildings, it's to get the keys to the city. Here, there are tomatoes for sale."

To Save or Not to Save: Is the Portland Building Better in Person or the Pictures?

2014-01-14T16:56:00-05:00

Sixteen years after the city spent $9 million to fix the 1982 postmodernist icon’s sagging 14th and 15th floor, it’s now facing a $95-million top-to-bottom overhaul because virtually every joint in the building is leaking. But as haters of the building call for its demolition and preservationists wail to save it, I’d like to pose a simple question that ought to be asked before spending millions of dollars to save any historic building: is the real thing better than the pictures?