Old Port Square (née Canal Plaza) | Portland

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Screen shot from this evenings WGME news story on the proposed tower which was fair and unbiased. However, their research team could have put more effort into the building heights in this graphic. Time & Temperature Building is actually 162', The Casco tops out at 204' and they should have shown Franklin Towers due to it being Portland's second tallest at 175'. Maybe I'm just being too picky on details? Their viewer poll showed 43% are in favor of the tower which is better than I expected.
 
Tom Nevers said:
“Outrage over plans for skyscraper that would tower over quaint Maine fishing city”
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A few inaccuracies starting with the proposed height of 400' when in reality it is 383'. I may be wrong here, but I'm not sure if Portland is actually Maine's "fishing hub" as I always thought there were other ports like Rockland and Eastport which had greater catch volumes and larger fishing fleets? I also don't think Portland has been considered "quaint" since the late 1800's unless you're comparing it to New York and Boston!
 
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Back when the 52 story Prudential Center in Boston's beautiful old Back Bay was built, perhaps it was the same kind of scenario or feeling. Its form kind of resembles the Old Port Square build. The Pru was or is not such a great looking tower, but getting rid of it would be like removing the Citgo sign. Sox fans were ready to riot at the suggestion of its removal.
 
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Came from CT, went to school at Bowdoin College, does that make you an expert in architecture? She never saw the old Portland where we had sewage in Casco Bay and Back Cove. Rats as big as dogs running around the old port. The 3 doors of hell on commercial street(bars), I don't know what part of CT she grew up in, but Hartford comes to mind, 30+ story buildings, old buildings torn down which could have been saved. Maybe Bridgeport? or the expensive part of Greenwich....maybe thats why she hates the building?
 
Boston has 46 buildings taller than this Portland build proposal. Boston is x10 bigger in city and metro populations, but with tall buildings it's probably over 100 structures taller than Portland's tallest. So, in this regard it's currently x100 times bigger. The PPH should be posting counterpoint arguments concurrently with this type of uninformed and yes, de facto ignorant editorialist. Currently, the two tallest buildings in Maine are churches! Biddeford and Lewiston. It's embarrassing more than startling about the "sad change and compromise of lifestyle" that will happen in Portland from this proposal build.
 
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I'm not against this proposal, but I'm still struggling to get behind the top. It's probably going to be dubbed the "Ugly Hat" building or some variation. And then be known as that for decades to come.
 
DanielPWM19 said:
I'm not against this proposal, but I'm still struggling to get behind the top. It's probably going to be dubbed the "Ugly Hat" building or some variation. And then be known as that for decades to come.
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My issue with it has been the actual appearance of the building, not the height or scale. I don't believe that it's going to look that out of place for Portland and find those arguments to be overblown. 200 feet higher than the next tallest isn't really all that dramatic (even when accounting for overall smaller scale). And because it's tucked off the streets, it'll be inoffensive (at its worst) at ground level too. But I still really don't like the design. It hasn't grown on me at all. It's not just the hat (though that's the biggest offense), it's the whole thing. It's the angled corners with balconies and the single facade that rises the entire height of the building with a much higher wall to window ratio than the other facades. It's just... not attractive at all to my eyes.

Maybe the materials will make it look better in reality than it does in renders. And maybe the odd design will grow to be beloved in a similar way that the Pru has. But I sure wish they'd take this thing back to the drawing board.
 
Lrfox said:
My issue with it has been the actual appearance of the building, not the height or scale. I don't believe that it's going to look that out of place for Portland and find those arguments to be overblown. 200 feet higher than the next tallest isn't really all that dramatic (even when accounting for overall smaller scale). And because it's tucked off the streets, it'll be inoffensive (at its worst) at ground level too. But I still really don't like the design. It hasn't grown on me at all. It's not just the hat (though that's the biggest offense), it's the whole thing. It's the angled corners with balconies and the single facade that rises the entire height of the building with a much higher wall to window ratio than the other facades. It's just... not attractive at all to my eyes.

Maybe the materials will make it look better in reality than it does in renders. And maybe the odd design will grow to be beloved in a similar way that the Pru has. But I sure wish they'd take this thing back to the drawing board.
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I tend to agree with you....it's very 80s looking in the rendering. Would have been nice to see something sleeker with more glass and angles.....something as simple as a miniature Hancock Tower would have been preferable.
 
I've gone the other way--at first I wasn't a fan but it's growing on me--it reminds me a little of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, with the skinnier octagonal tower rising from a larger base. I'm interested in the inspiration behind the roof--anyone have any background on that part of the tower?
 
Lrfox said:
My issue with it has been the actual appearance of the building, not the height or scale. I don't believe that it's going to look that out of place for Portland and find those arguments to be overblown. 200 feet higher than the next tallest isn't really all that dramatic (even when accounting for overall smaller scale). And because it's tucked off the streets, it'll be inoffensive (at its worst) at ground level too. But I still really don't like the design. It hasn't grown on me at all. It's not just the hat (though that's the biggest offense), it's the whole thing. It's the angled corners with balconies and the single facade that rises the entire height of the building with a much higher wall to window ratio than the other facades. It's just... not attractive at all to my eyes.

Maybe the materials will make it look better in reality than it does in renders. And maybe the odd design will grow to be beloved in a similar way that the Pru has. But I sure wish they'd take this thing back to the drawing board.
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I am firmly in the minority here ... as I think if (I still have my doubts - timeline says "2027-2035" ) built, it will look just fine, and even eventually iconic ... And agree - The Pru was/is kind of an odd design, even a sore thumb, but now an icon of Boston.
 
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I agree with many of the previous comments and still have not embraced the design of the top floors. Also wonder if Tim Soley's options for cosmetic change are limited due to the stature of Moshe Safdie and not wanting to hurt the feelings of a world renowned architect? How would you go about convincing Renoir to alter one of his paintings? The street level view actually looks contemporary and unique from a design standpoint in my opinion and blends in well with its surroundings in an unobtrusive manner as Lrfox pointed out.
 
Does Portland and other communities have a bird hitting glass ordinance regarding glass structures (aka reduce glass panels)? that's why we see a structure designed like this with less glass ?
 
The windows become less functional because that second layer is going to severely limit the visibility angles. What's the purpose of having that grid cladding jutting out so far from the main structure? This building should give sweeping views of the area but that layer makes the view a lot narrower.
 
DZH22 said:
The windows become less functional because that second layer is going to severely limit the visibility angles. What's the purpose of having that grid cladding jutting out so far from the main structure? This building should give sweeping views of the area but that layer makes the view a lot narrower.
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To reduce solar gain. You can still get an angle view if you look out the window near the edges. I'd be more concerned with airborne pollutants/bits for cleaning purposes. And birds or bees. Looks like a great place to build a nest, on the other side. I've seen buildings in Florida use this idea. They're all dirty looking too.
 
What would the critics say if this old grain elevator was being proposed today? Does this fit the “working port” vibe that they so often say Portland was, is, and forever should be?
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