91视频

A proposal for an eight-story, 134,000-square-foot office building in the East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District drew criticism from the Historic Landmarks Commission on Monday for overall excessive size and scale.

The structure would be built on a half-block parcel fronting Southeast Grand Avenue between Ash and Pine streets. But with many of the surrounding buildings in the historic district rising only three or four stories, commissioners expressed concern at a design advice hearing that the new building would simply overwhelm everything around it.

鈥淢y understanding of this district is certainly some degree of differentiation is OK,鈥� Historic Landmarks Commission Chairwoman Kristen Minor said. 鈥淏ut right now this scheme is too much; it feels like too much mass. And when you look at all the examples, the buildings that are contributing to the district are generally one to four stories.鈥�

TVA Architects is designing the project for Sturgeon Development Partners. As submitted, the building would feature glulam columns and beams and cross-laminated timber panels on the interior. Precast concrete panels would clad the exterior in a similar manner as the Weatherly Building and other contributing historic buildings in the district.

Bob Thompson, a principal with TVA Architects, told commissioners that when it comes to context, the most important thing to consider is what will happen in the district in years ahead.

鈥淵ou’re going to see development in this area over the next 15 years like you’ve never seen before,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’re looking at it beyond what it is today. If we can work within the framework we’re talking about, I think you’ll be happy with how we incorporate this constructive feedback we’ve gotten today.鈥�

On top of the building’s massing and scale, however, concerns also were raised about the so-called wedding cake architectural style that calls for a distinct base, midsection and top. While this is a common way buildings in this district are delineated, commissioners noted that the proposal for the new building could go further.

鈥淚 do think the idea of having a two-story base has been done in this building,鈥� Minor said. 鈥淭he Weatherly (Building) has a really explicit two-story base to it and the thing that building does is that there is a very clear distinction between the pattern of openings and the entire fenestration pattern at the base at the Weatherly.鈥�

Commissioners expressed strong support for the use of CLT and exposed glulam beams and columns, as well as a generally open feel with large window openings to provide transparency and show off the natural wood finishes.

But that same aesthetic interest also contrasts with the historic aspects of the surrounding buildings and the district as a whole.

鈥淚 don’t mind concrete as a material, and look at the Weatherly Building 鈥� it is one that has painted concrete,鈥� Minor said. 鈥淏ut there are so many fine details that really add to that building that need to be brought into this building. I’m with you, Commissioner (Maya) Foty, in that I do want to see the CLT construction here; I think it’s inherently beautiful. But also I think it’s going to be tough to have a building that has this degree of openness all the way up. It makes it hard to fit in.鈥�

The project proposal is expected to change before it is submitted for design review.

鈥淚 think most commissioners might be amenable to seeing this building at this scale,鈥� Minor said. 鈥淏ut I just think that the response to how this building must shift must change volumetrically.鈥�

Foty agreed.

鈥淚t would be easier if it was a little shorter to blend in,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or me, personally, I really need conviction that it will fit in this neighborhood. But I’d be willing to review it at the same height.鈥�