2002

AIA/IDP CHARETTE

mixed-use urban gateway mid-rise

 BLOCK 76

members

location

Joseph Huang

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX

A MIXED-USE URBAN GATEWAY MID-RISE

Given the complex site with many forms of fast-moving transit, a history of industry and a reputation for lewd behaviour, we decided to respond with a similarly rich and complex building within a simple enclosure.

The interior building is a ‘U’ shape whose boundaries are defined by the street grid and the zoning height.  The void within the ‘U’ is the unifying space to which all of the building’s individual parts relate.  It is open to the public at ground level and is an opportune social condenser.  As the floors of the building rise skyward, the plan twists and recedes, giving way to views of downtown and the river.  Two floors of housing on top ensure that the building will not be empty, but rather, lived-in.

The exterior enclosure of the building consists of a regular concrete frame, which defines a cube.  The frame supports the vertical loads of the building but is not aligned with the irregular internal spaces, window patterns or floor levels, emphasizing the separation between interior and exterior.  Applied to this frame are wooden louvers, which modulate the sunlight coming in, frame views outward and reduce the exterior to a box.

From afar, one sees a simple box, like an industrial warehouse, but with the warmth of wood, reminiscent of the Northwest.  As they approach, their gaze penetrates the wood layer to see the outline of the inner building – more solid toward the North and East sides (with their soft sunlight), and more open towards the city and the pedestrian space of Burnside to the South and West.  Upon entering the box, internal complexities are revealed.  The courtyard is soft with storefront shops, trees and water.  Layers of space spiral overhead, inviting one to move throughout the building to experience the spectacular spaces and views.