"City of Possibility" explores Portland's architectural past and future
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A fir model of the historic 1972 Downtown Plan, on display at the "City of Possibility" exhibit. Photo: Courtesy of DRAWINGS
Looking back is encouraged at a new architectural exhibition in downtown Portland, but it's not the sole focus.
State of play: "City of Possibility" explores Portland's legacy of urban planning and design by showcasing what's in the pipeline alongside historical projects.
- Yes, but: Intentional collaborations like the 1972 Downtown Plan, an effort between the government, businesses and developers, has since "fallen by the wayside," Randy Gragg, the event's co-director, told Axios.
- The American Institute of Architects is not as active in Oregon, he said, and Design Week dissolved during the pandemic, leading to "a lapse in dialogue" among the folks currently shaping the city's skyline.
The latest: As a way to drum up inspiration among the design community again, Gragg and co-director William Smith brought together dozens of models — miniature buildings and landscapes — from over 40 architects to show where the city has been and where it could go.
What's inside: A massive 18-by-20-foot fir model of 1970s Portland sits next to a virtual fly-through of seven work-in-progress projects like the earthquake-ready Burnside Bridge, a re-imagined Lloyd Center and the Albina Vision plan for Rose Quarter.
- Over 50 other models are on display, too, including the Hallock & McMillan Building, Wells Fargo Center and the Portland Building, a postmodern masterpiece. There are even some made by schoolchildren.
- Gragg said it was an opportunity to look at both the talent and "the ambition that's here," adding that over 600 people attended the opening night.
- "It just seemed to make people happy to have something positive to think about Portland."
If you go: "City of Possibility" is open noon-6pm Friday through Sunday through March 27.
- Exhibits are split between the Expensify Bank Building and the J.K. Gill Building.