The icon of postmodern architecture and the Portlandia statue

The Portland Building, also known as the Portland Municipal Services Building, is a 15-story municipal office building in downtown Portland, Oregon. Opened in 1982 at a cost of US$29 million, it was considered architecturally groundbreaking. Designed by Michael Graves, its use of various surface materials, colors, small windows, and decorative flourishes stood in stark contrast to the glass and steel styles common for large office buildings at the time, making it an icon of postmodern architecture.

The building's design was a rejection of Modernist principles, a shift welcomed by some architects and criticized by others. Portland Mayor Frank Ivancie noted that modernist styles were making downtowns look boring, while Italian-born modernist architect Pietro Belluschi called the Portland Building "totally wrong," describing it as "packaging." Conversely, critic Paul Goldberger argued that the building had a profound effect on American architecture by bringing back a return to classicism. In 1985, a hammered-copper statue known as Portlandia was added above the front entrance.

By 1990, only eight years after opening, the lobby and food court required remodeling. In 2014, city commissioners debated whether to demolish the building due to water infiltration and structural issues, with some calling it a "white elephant." However, a reconstruction project moved forward in 2016 with a budget of up to $140 million. Work began in fall 2017, and although the project was expected to finish in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the return of most city staff. The reconstruction work was recognized with an American Architecture Award in 2021.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons