Snøhetta has unveiled a master plan to revitalize Willamette Falls in Oregon City. The second largest waterfall in the United States by volume, the site has been obscured by infrastructure for over a century, with Snøhetta’s plan centered on making the area more publicly accessible.

The master plan includes a riverwalk that begins at the entrance of Oregon City’s historic downtown and culminates at the waterfall’s peak. Imagined as a sequence of "islands" crafted from basalt, steel, wood, and concrete, the riverwalk is designed to be an immersive experience where visitors can witness the power of the falls up close while also feeling the mist and appreciating the landscape's changing tones.

By encompassing the city’s historic downtown, the project hopes to revitalize Main Street, which once served as a major avenue but today dead-ends at the entrance to the waterfall site. Under Snøhetta’s plans, the street will become the gateway for the reinvigorated area.

While providing public access to the historically important site, the development also intends to restore natural habitats for plants and animals with a blend of public spaces and green areas. Among these spaces is Public Yard, a large plaza providing panoramic views of the falls and the neighboring PGE Dam. The plaza, alongside other structures, is intended as a hub for public gatherings anchoring the development as Oregon City's new civic center.

Other companies involved in the scheme’s development include Mayer/Reed and DIALOG, with Snøhetta providing Design Architect and Design Landscape Architect roles.

News of the project comes a month after Snøhetta's U.S. office voted to not unionize, and two months after the firm’s Orionis planetarium debuted in France. Other recent schemes by the firm include the Blanton New Grounds which recently opened at the University of Texas at Austin, a hexagonal pavement system designed with Asak Miljøstein, and an innovation hub in Bangkok featuring the city’s largest elevated garden.