Portland's Smart Tower
Posted by: kmikeym | From: September 16, 2008
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.
i think it is a great idea. portland really should be more on the map than it is. bringing something new and useful to the waterfront could make portland a much better place. plus it also goes with portland's great taste for archetecture and art in general.
Posted by: benjamin sommers at September 19, 2008 3:39 PM
Cool idea, but an awful choice for the location. The waterfront should remain a park-like location that offers no obstructions to the river.
What's more, I really think you're bringing other city's baggage with you when you say that Portland needs something 'iconic'. Hogwash. What makes Portland great is that everything here is human scale. Yeah, we don't have a St Louis-style arch or a space needle, but who the f*ck cares! That's not what this city is about.
If you want iconic, go check out Mt Hood. Space needle? WTF...
Posted by: snippit at September 30, 2008 10:45 AM
I think the choice is great! It's not that big and it doesn't take up a lot of space and it will actually bring MORE people to the waterfront, which is a good thing!
Mt. Hood is awesome, no argument there, but that is more of a regional icon. The city has a pretty boring skyline, and nothing that people see and think, "Ah, that's Portland!"
I'm all for big bold changes. Let's make new things! It's exciting!
Posted by: Mikey at September 30, 2008 1:17 PM
Great - cock rock and now cock building. this is definately something the next generation won't point back to and wonder WTF were they thinking.
Yes, it is important to make a radical change to our skyline so people we dont know will recognize us in the backdrop of a bud light commercial - hey, that's cock tower, that must be portland. how fun! that will make us famous and probably all movie stars - hoo rah. we'll show those potatoe farmers in idaho who's a great big grown up city, huh!
YES! lets make super fun big bold changes, it will be awesome! with all those exclaimation points, i have to be right! all change is always good! weeeee!
Posted by: fabalus! at October 10, 2008 11:54 PM
I'm all for a counter-argument, but you do a fine job of invalidating your own argument (and insulting us) so i won't bother with much of a response.
Remember kids: Think it through, write it down, re-read it, and *then* post it.
Posted by: Mikey at October 13, 2008 10:02 AM
ha-ha hopefully it gets approved. Portland needs something like that in its skyline.the city has a population of over 550,000 and there are other cities in America with less population and higher high rises.But I love it. i think its gnarlly://GO PORTLAND:)
Posted by: whats it 2ya! at October 5, 2009 6:07 PM
I like the idea of an "iconic" tower in Portland, but this is kind of ugly. At least the Space Needle looks like something: a flying saucer on a tripod - it's a very cool-looking structure, like something out of The Jetsons. But this thing looks like nothing at all - sort of like it was cobbled together with tinker-toys. It's really an eyesore. Maybe it will draw attention away from the Portland Building...
Posted by: Guy at October 22, 2009 5:58 PM
Can we call it the Space Needle?
Posted by: Azure at September 16, 2008 11:21 AM