Portland Building
| The Portland Building | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 Location in Portland
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| Alternative names | Portland Municipal Services Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Government offices |
| Location | 1120 SW 5th Avenue Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°30′56″N 122°40′43″W / 45.515635°N 122.678675°WCoordinates: 45°30′56″N 122°40′43″W / 45.515635°N 122.678675°W |
| Completed | 1982 |
| Opening | October 2, 1982 |
| Cost | US$29 million |
| Owner | City of Portland |
| Height | |
| Roof | 70.41 m (231.0 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 15 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect |
Michael Graves Emery Roth & Sons |
| Structural engineer | Desimone Consulting Engineers |
| Main contractor |
Hoffman Construction Pavarini Mcgovern Construction |
| References | |
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Portland Public Service Building
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| NRHP Reference # | 11000770 |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 2011 |
The Portland Building, alternatively referenced as the Portland Municipal Services Building, is a 15-story municipal office building located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland, Oregon. Built at a cost of US$29 million, it opened in 1982 and was considered architecturally groundbreaking at the time. The building houses offices of the City of Portland and is located adjacent to Portland City Hall. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
The distinctive look of Michael Graves' Portland Building, with its use of a variety of surface materials and colors, small windows, and inclusion of prominent decorative flourishes, was in stark contrast to the architectural style most commonly used for large office buildings at the time, and made the building an icon of postmodern architecture. It is the first major postmodern building, opening before Philip Johnson's AT&T Building, and its design has been described as a rejection of the Modernist principles established in the early 20th century. Graves' design was selected in a large design competition, with Johnson as one of the three members of the selection committee. Graves was added into the competition after Johnson threw out the entry from architect Gunnar Birkerts for having not been Postmodern enough. Birkerts went on to design the Detroit Institute of Arts South Wing, which was re-clad by Graves in 2007.
Portland mayor Frank Ivancie was among those who expressed the opinion that the modernist style then being applied to most large office buildings had begun to make some American cities' downtowns look "boring", with most of the newer, large buildings being covered in glass and steel, and largely lacking in design features that would make them stand out. Among architects, reaction was mixed, with many criticizing the design while others embraced it as a welcome departure. In 1985, the hammered-copper statue Portlandia was added above the front entrance.
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