Portland Building Renovation | Portland, Oregon | 2020

Architects: DLR Group
Original Architects: Michael Graves (1982)
Developer: Balfour Beatty
Client: City of Portland
General Contractor: Howard S. Wright Construction
Photographers: James Ewing 

Description: The Portland Building stands out among the buildings of downtown Portland, Oregon as a Postmodern collage of historical references and symbols. This colorful and spirited addition to the city was designed by Michael Graves and built in 1982 as administrative offices for the City of Portland. The building was later placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a building of “exceptional importance,” due to the significant impact it had on the Postmodern movement and the trajectory of Michael Grave’s career. Despite international recognition for its groundbreaking design, the Portland Building faced problems with its structure, exterior, and operational systems that repairs alone could not address. The Portland Building Reconstruction project began in 2016 and consisted of a complete renovation/restoration of the original building including new exterior cladding, seismic upgrade, MEP systems replacement, and re-imagined workplace. Utilizing a progressive design/build delivery model and a collaborative approach, the project team was able to innovate creative solutions to the building’s pervasive operational and performance issues, thereby protecting and preserving an important public asset and architectural icon for the next 50-100 years. The reconstructed Portland Building provides a healthy, productive workplace for City employees and an open, welcoming space for community members.