An Architectural Guidebook to Portland
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Written by Bart King.
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($22.95)
Editorial Review (from Amazon.com)
Portland strikes a unique balance between the rich architectural traditions of the past and the cutting-edge creative developments of modern architecture. Within a small downtown area can be found 19th-century cast-iron-front buildings, skyscrapers, old brick warehouses, a landmark 1890 train station, historic bridges, and a distinguished assortment of museum, government, and retail buildings. Its civic planning, historic preservation, and overall attractiveness make Portland a place that natives revel in and visitors admire. Written for both layperson and professional, An Architectural Guidebook to Portland is filled with history and photos that demonstrate why this city is one of the most admired in the nation. The Guidebook’s first edition was praised for its readability and usefulness as a reference book. It has now been revised and updated to reflect Portland’s explosive growth in the 21st century. New features include an added focus on the development of “green buildings” and sustainable design in Portland, a chapter on downtown bridges, expanded coverage of the city’s vibrant neighborhoods, and a glossary of architectural terms. With over 250 entries that tell the stories behind Portland’s celebrated cityscape, this comprehensive guide is an indispensable resource for visitors and Portlanders alike.User Reviews (1) Login or create an account to write a review.
Dale Brayden thinks this book is Good.
A brief history of Portland architecture, and a building by building look at the best, and some of the worst, buildings in downtown and surrounding areas. Anyone who has been to Portland and actually looked at the buildings knows that Portland's architecture is pretty special. There are only a few of the original turn of the century cast-iron frame buildings left, unfortunately, because they were torn down to build a freeway in the 1940s. The freeway is now gone (moved 14 blocks west, away from the Willamette waterfront), but only 10% of the buildings near the waterfront survived. The area around Skidmore fountain shows what Portland looked like then.
The book doesn't limit itself to just old buildings, though. There's a description and photo of the Henry building, the condo development completed in 2004 directly behind Powell's books. And the new Park Towers building, occupying the space across the street from the old Hamburger Mary's, is present as well.
This is a really excellent and detailed look at Portland's unique architecture. It would make an excellent guidebook for walking tours in downtown.