You might already be aware that the Pacific Northwest College of Art is in the midst of an impressive expansion (here’s my post on the new dorms from back in August), or that part of it includes Portland’s original US Post Office, the grand old lady at 511 NW Broadway that I, at least, had never been inside of until yesterday, when the construction crew let me borrow one of their hard hats and check out the in-progress space.
Built in 1916-18, the building has, obviously, a ton of history, and that level of architectural detail that nobody seems to have the money to ever, ever do anymore. The West side of the building is currently a parking lot, but when the building reopens as the school’s Arlene and Harold
Schnitzer Center for Art and Design, this is the side where the main entrance will be (opposite from the original main on Broadway). Eventually, that block is due to become an extension of the park blocks, which will give it a lovely campus vibe. Inside, much of the building has been protected as historical, so the huge, grand front hallway retains all its sumptuous detail. This ground floor will eventually hold the PNCA admissions office, gallery (so stoked to add this to the First Thursday circuit), and a black box theater.
The upstairs is significantly plainer but still cool, especially the 18 giant walk-in safes that came with the building and are going to stay (I think they’d make good dark rooms for a History of Photography class or maybe just really dramatic coat closets). (Also found in the building: a room filled with American flags. Apparently, even after the building was no longer in use, a maintenance guy still had to come in to lower the flags to half-mast at the appropriate occasions.) The solid wood doors and huge, functional windows are all staying, though many of the rooms will be opened up to make larger classrooms and studios. On the lower, northern side of the building are a plethora of skylights that have been sitting covered. Having them open, creating a light-filled atrium is going to be pretty impressive, to say the least.
Such a rare opportunity and this handful of dark crappy cell phone pics are all you take?
Thanks for sharing! What a great example of adaptive reuse! If you are interested in covering Portland’s love affair with infill at all costs and the loss of great architecture check this story out:
http://www.oregonlive.com/front-porch/index.ssf/2014/02/historic_john_bridges_house_in.html
Ya, what the squirrel said.
Anyone remember the (gorgeous) Portland Stockyard Exchange building? (http://www.ccrh.org/comm/slough/images/Seb… )
TORN DOWN, to be replace by a sign in front of nondescript-cum-industrial blandness.
The Post Office in this article is just one among many notable buildings that once stood in Portland. But the attitude her is “It’s (over 40 years) ‘old’ and therefore ‘unsafe,’ so we need to tear it down.”
One of the differences between the US and Europe is that while Portland’s 19th-early 20th century buildings are mostly gone, they still stand in Europe.
^^Great point.
I cannot help but get angry about the location of the admissions office and what has already happened to that space. The remnants of the ceiling, now scaped clean, with holes for new electrical, even the arches are naked. It makes me sad for what could’ve been conserved… Adding salt to wounds is the fact that this building was given to the PNCA. I.E., it was free!!! Nay, it wasn’t free, PNCA received 750K from the city so they are being paid to do this. I’m glad it’s getting used for the next thirty years, but really, is it being protected? The way PDX city works sometimes makes me want to explode.