I am jealous of the Space Needle. And the St. Louis Arch. And those other iconic structures that define cities. Portland doesn't have anything like that... yet.
Portland Architecture has a post about Hanna & Mulvanny G2's SMART Tower proposal, originally a proposal for the redevelopment of the Portland Visitors Information Center on waterfront park (the bicycle waystation idea won), and now looking for a new home.
... the tower has a twisting shape with functions at the base and top, and wind turbines comprising about the middle two-thirds. The idea is that this is a "SMART Tower."The tower relies on an innovative turbine developed in Holland called the Turby that Hanna describes as "the most advanced urban wind turbine. It can go on top of or on the side of buildings; it can take updrafts and sidedrafts and winds from all different directions."
The Smart Tower already has a wikipedia page and if it was built to it's proposed 650 feet it would be the tallest building in Portland. The architect firm is at mulvannyg2.com, and Randy Gragg interviewed the developer.
The part I really like from the interview is when Rand Gragg asks about the costs:
Randy G: Are you looking for R&D money from the city?DH: No, it's on our dime. The business plan makes sense. It doesn't need subsidy.
Randy G: So if you build it, what will the city get in rent?
DH: Five percent of our gross: $500,000 to $1.5 million per year. That would be the most revenue the city gets from any property. Plus we'll light the park, put in 10 restrooms, and provide a beautiful 30,000-square-foot canopy in Waterfront Park!
A big ambitious project that not only pays for itself, but also provides funds back to the city! What an amazingly terrific idea.
