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Peter Meijer lost the battle to preserve the Portland Building‘s fa莽ade, but the local architect has been recognized for his efforts.

Docomomo US recently gave Meijer its 2019 Advocacy Award of Excellence. He 鈥減layed a pivotal role in speaking up and advocating for the sensitive preservation of the Postmodern icon,鈥� the organization stated.

鈥淚t’s quite an honor for me to receive it,鈥� Meijer said in an interview. 鈥淚t’s a bit bittersweet in that it’s an advocacy award for preservation of a building for which the conversation went a different direction.鈥�

The Portland Building was designed by Michael Graves and completed in 1982. A $195 million project is under way to renovate and modernize the city building. Work includes repair and replacement of the exterior.

The imposing concrete-faced building, in the face of criticism, represented a key moment in architectural style, Meijer said. Graves 鈥渆ssentially started the postmodern movement,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he local community overwhelmingly hated that building, whereas the national and international community recognized it as a piece of (postmodern) work,鈥� Meijer said.

Postmodernism is a new front for historic preservation advocates as the buildings reach 40 or 50 years old.

鈥淚t was trying to start the conversation about the appropriate approach to postmodern buildings when they have reached a time, an age where when they need to be invested in,鈥� Meijer said.

While it’s relatively easy to muster public support for preserving the Pittock Mansion or Pioneer Courthouse, the idea of preserving a building that hadn’t reached its 40th birthday is a tougher task.

鈥淭he easiest buildings to justify saving, and putting a lot of effort and treasure into saving, are those that people have loved for a long time,鈥� said Tim Eddy, president of Hennebery Eddy Architects. 鈥淭hey’re buildings that people relate to; there’s seldom any argument there. It’s also important to save buildings that are markers of our past and our architectural legacy.鈥�

Docomomo has continued to document the work to dismantle the Portland Building’s fa莽ade as the project has continued.

鈥淣ot all preservation advocacy efforts result in a positive outcome, but these efforts would never happen in the first place without one person carrying the banner, holding the megaphone, taking the lead, and Peter has exhibited that strongly in this case and throughout his career,鈥� Docomomo US Director Gunny Harboe stated in announcing Meijer’s award.

Meijer served as the founding president of Docomomo’s Oregon chapter, which was created in 2012. The group has lobbied for the preservation of other architecturally notable Portland buildings, including Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The original Portland Building project was affected by the city’s budget and came as the nation was suffering from an energy crisis.

鈥淚t was a public competition and the city had 鈥榅’ amount of dollars, and it was built for 鈥榅’ amount of dollars,鈥� Meijer said.

The building was not fully executed according to Graves’ vision, said Peggy Moretti, executive director of Restore Oregon.

鈥淚t just presented some very unique challenges and is an example of cutting some corners,鈥� she said.

Restore Oregon has not focused on restoring postmodern buildings, instead favoring midcentury modern ones and those from other architectural periods, Moretti said.

鈥淓very era has its good and its bad examples,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are going to be important (postmodern) examples that are definitely worth preserving, and others where choices will be made. It’s something I think we’ll be thinking about the next 10 years.鈥�

Building renovation approaching completion

The Portland Building renovation is on time and on budget, according to a quarterly report from the Community Oversight Committee. However, the project is likely to fall short of meeting goals for participation by minority and emerging small business contractors, according to the committee’s fourth-quarter 2018 report. Overall equity goals were on track.

鈥淪ocial equity remains a source of concern as it appears that the team’s individual social equity goals for subcontract utilization will not be reached,鈥� the committee stated. 鈥淭he committee has recommended various forms of outreach to ensure more subcontractors can access the project.鈥�

A spokeswoman for the Office of Management and Finance could not be reached for comment.

Howard S. Wright is the general contractor for the project. The city expects to commission a survey of all subcontractors contacted during the bidding process regarding their experience, according to the report.

City bureaus are expected to move back into the Portland Building in November, with a 鈥渟oft opening鈥� to the public scheduled for Dec. 16. A grand opening and media day will follow in January 2020. 鈥� Chuck Slothower