Portland Renderings

[Dr. StrangeHat]

But most people don't. The thought is that the alternate plan would block city hall.

Unless there are plans to dress-up and improve the blank, faceless, ugly back-side of Merrill Auditorium and City Hall, I say block it. That is far and away my least favorite aspect of Portland's skyline.

 

[PortlandArch]

From the 1980s

 

[markhb]

Great finds! What's that one with the pyramid roof? And, what's the timeframe for those Long Wharf concepts.

 

[SHAZBAT73]

Ah yes, the 80's. If the economy didn't spudder out like it did from 87 to 92, we would have seen a lot of those proposals above today.

 

[Patrick]

Great finds! What's that one with the pyramid roof? And, what's the timeframe for those Long Wharf concepts.

One is for the parking lot next to 100 middle st. The timeline for all is about 25 years ago. They're all old proposals.

 

[cneal]

^ I've never seen that 100 Middle Street sketch before. Do you know anything more about it? Or a more specific date of the drawing? I might try to do some more research in the Portland Room if I can get more details.

 

[Patrick]

^ I've never seen that 100 Middle Street sketch before. Do you know anything more about it? Or a more specific date of the drawing? I might try to do some more research in the Portland Room if I can get more details.

It's from 1987-1988 and was 120 Middle Street Plaza. I know the architect and can find more information out through him. I believe it was proposed by Michael Liberty, whose Liberty Group also developed the adjacent 100 Middle Street complex.

 

[masswich]

That's a nice level of density on that site but what an ugly, poorly designed building. The pyramid roof reminds me of the 'crown' on 111 Huntington. The building is a huge block with no relation to the street. That site deserves better.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

That's a nice level of density on that site but what an ugly, poorly designed building. The pyramid roof reminds me of the 'crown' on 111 Huntington. The building is a huge block with no relation to the street. That site deserves better.

This was the design as proposed in the late 1980's. The site remains a parking lot today, and nothing has been proposed there since the late 19080's (as far as I'm aware). Sure, it deserves better, but I'd rather have this building (which I don't hate, since it works with the surrounding buildings fairly well) than a parking lot.

 

[Patrick]

That's a nice level of density on that site but what an ugly, poorly designed building. The pyramid roof reminds me of the 'crown' on 111 Huntington. The building is a huge block with no relation to the street. That site deserves better.

Your comment shows how subjective urban design is (or can be) in the fine details. I actually really like the rendering, which rings the lower half of the structure closer to the street, steps back at a traditional Main Street scale, and has a base/first floor pedestrian level material handsomer than the remainder of the upper floors. The pitched roof I could do without. Burlington Vermont has a similar building which I never liked, but it is a signature of that city. On a somewhat related note 111 Huntington is probably in my top 3-5 skyscrapers aesthetically. I really like the top Menino advocated for.

 

[masswich]

Your comment shows how subjective urban design is (or can be) in the fine details. I actually really like the rendering, which rings the lower half of the structure closer to the street, steps back at a traditional Main Street scale, and has a base/first floor pedestrian level material handsomer than the remainder of the upper floors. The pitched roof I could do without. Burlington Vermont has a similar building which I never liked, but it is a signature of that city. On a somewhat related note 111 Huntington is probably in my top 3-5 skyscrapers aesthetically. I really like the top Menino advocated for.

You are right, it's subjective, though there are many generally accepted urban design axioms. And there are worse buildings around. I hope something good happens on those parking lots along Spring Street, they are a real gap in the urban fabric.

I don't entirely disagree with you about 111 Huntington, either, it's a nice buidling. The crown just seems a little stuck on to me, I'd be interested in seeing a rendering of it without the crown.

 

[Patrick]

You are right, it's subjective, though there are many generally accepted urban design axioms. And there are worse buildings around. I hope something good happens on those parking lots along Spring Street, they are a real gap in the urban fabric.

I don't entirely disagree with you about 111 Huntington, either, it's a nice buidling. The crown just seems a little stuck on to me, I'd be interested in seeing a rendering of it without the crown.

Please believe me when I say this comment is not intended to spark an argument, but I think it's important to pause whenever we hear that something is "generally accepted." That being said, I am familiar with what you are referring to (I've studied urban design at the graduate level and completed the form-based codes institute). I just think that we all too often accept certain urban design "axioms" without contextual analysis which is what got us into the sprawling scenario we see characterizing urban centers today. I also happen to have spoken to Andres Duany (famed urban designer) about this, and he really got me to accept that not everywhere needs to, or should be, a utopian urban village (not that that's what you've suggested by any means). I mention that because many people forget that different places serve different functions. Anyway, none of this is really directed at you individually, but your comment made me feel the need to state it. At the end of the day, I agree that most places will agree upon quality urban design, but I've found it's important to let the public weigh in on that via consensus building instead of beginning with the axioms and working backward. That's caused a lot of divisiveness in Portland, in my opinion.

Thanks for listening...more renderings below.

 

[Patrick]

The first image is of the President of the Barclay Group pointing to a model of One City Center, which at the time it opened leased at a faster rate than Faneuil Hall in Boston.

The rendering near Benoits is a former proposal by Finard & Co. out of Burlington, MA to build a 90,000 office and retail complex along with a 200 room hotel and public plaza served by underground parking along Federal Street

Other interesting trivia: One Monument Square was originally supposed to be 20-stories, and the shorter building shown where One City Center is today lost the competitive bid put out by the City (which then owned the land) to build a new complex. When finished, One City Center was actually 18 inches off the mark, on City property.

 

[masswich]

No argument here, I agree with most of what you say. There is some science as to how people use space (a la William Whyte) but much of it is subjective and site specific.

Thanks for posting the pics of City Center.

 

[markhb]

I like that it shows how there was supposed to be a restaurant patio on what is now the "WBLM Porch".

 

[Patrick]

Yes, Whyte's work was a very positive contribution and still serves as the basis for many decisions made today, even in Portland where they just added movable chairs to a sunken outdated urban "plaza" (Congress Square Plaza) and in the summer time the place is totally different than it has been in years passed. It's amazing sometimes that people design in the abstract without stopping to consider the users of the space more. For sure.

 

[SHAZBAT73]

Those are some pretty cool pics! Thank you Patrick!

 

[Patrick]

Those are some pretty cool pics! Thank you Patrick!

Thanks but I can't take credit...thank Portlander who spent decades collecting them (and then gave them to me)!

 

[PortlandArch]

For the above pic you can see Lincoln Square towers on the bottom if you look closely. This is a picture of the architect explaining the project.

The above picture is of One Portland Square under construction.

The above building looks like it dates to the 1860s but in fact it was built in the 1980s.

The above picture is of plans to restore the Galt Block long before the Eastern Waterfront Master Plan, in the 1980s.

Back Bay Tower under construction, late 1980s.

Lincoln Square model, located at Top of the Old Port parking lot, where a church and Somma's sandwich shop used to sit.

The site of the planned Lincoln Square project (and Lincoln Center, years later), where winds were of concern to the City.

A rendering of Back Bay Tower

Rocco Risbara, partner in the DMR Group, explaining a model of Lincol Square.

Planning Director Joe Gray walking by a model of Lincoln Square.

Partners of DMR, Dimatteo, Mancini, and Risbara

A rendering of Two Portland Square

One of Portland's taller office building proposals, at 150 feet. Circa 2007

250 units at the Village at Ocean Gate, now the Bay House site.

The Westin Hotel & Residences, with top floor condo marketed at $5 million, now the site of a Hampton Inn

What the Bay House site used to look like.

What the Hampton Inn site used to look like

Proposed Westin Hotel & residences

Proposed Westin Hotel & residences

A second attempt to build a high rise on the Top of the Old Port parking lot, Lincoln Center, with attached 10 story hotel and convention center coupled with a new civic center.

The Riverwalk Proect, later renamed the Watermark, now the site of a proposed autograph collection hotel.

The "Subject Site" shown is now being constructed as a building of similar scale.

 

[Portlander]

Nice job Patrick, appreciate the time and effort!