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Portland architecture includes a number of notable buildings, a wide range of styles, and a few notable pioneering architects.

The scale of many projects is relatively small, as a result of the relatively small size of downtown-Portland blocks (200 feet by 200 feet) and strict height restrictions enacted toprotect views of nearbyMount Hood from Portland's West Hills. Although these restrictions limit project size, they contribute to Portland's reputation for thoughtfulurban planning andlivability.

Many older buildings have been preserved and re-used, including manyglazed terra-cotta buildings.

Portland is a leader in sustainable architecture and is known for its focus on urban planning. As of 2009, Portland has the second highest number ofLEED-accredited "green" buildings of any city in the U.S., second only toChicago.^[1]

Well-known architectPietro Belluschi began his career in Portland with the prolific firm ofA.E. Doyle, leaving his imprint upon the city until the 1980s. Other notable architects and firms who have worked in Portland areSkidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM),Michael Graves,Cass Gilbert,Rapp and Rapp,Daniel Burnham & Co.,Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF),Frank Lloyd Wright,Richard Neutra,Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF) andBrad Cloepfil of Allied Works. Local architects that have had a large influence on Portland's architecture includeFrancis Marion Stokes and his fatherWilliam R. Stokes (combined works include over 270 buildings from 1882 to the 1960s), the Victorian-era architectWarren H. Williams (architect of several survivingcast-iron buildings including theBlagen Block as well as the stick-gothicOld Church) andWhidden & Lewis (architects ofPortland City Hall, the long demolishedPortland Hotel, theWeinhard Brewery Complex, theFailing Office Building, several office buildings on SW 3rd Ave. and numerous residences).

Portland building concentrations

Downtown

Lloyd District

South Waterfront

Pearl District

Portland has four main concentrations of high-rise buildings:Downtown,the Lloyd District,South Waterfront, andthe Pearl District. Downtown high-rises have a wide range of building types including office, residential, lodging, municipal, and retail. Lloyd District high-rises have historically been primarily office, although smaller residential and lodging buildings have been added in recent years. South Waterfront and the Pearl District are almost entirely residential. Additionally, Lloyd District has been home to a federal building, and Portland'sOregon state office building (and the adjacentOregon Square), since 1959 and 1992, respectively.^[2][3]

The first "true skyscraper" in Portland was theWells Fargo Building, completed in 1907. It is a 182 feet (55 m)steel-framed building, although the tallest building from 1892 to 1911 wasthe Oregonian Building, if its clocktower is included.^[4] The large doorstep at the building's entryway required the largest slab of granite ever shipped to Portland at the time.^[5]

In 1911, theYeon Building was completed, which was the tallest building in the city for two years. The building was clad inglazed terra-cotta, and culminates in acolonnade on the top floors. For a time, the building was illuminated by light sockets built into the cornices, but they were later removed.^[5] In 1913, the Yeon building was surpassed in height by theAmerican Bank Building, which remained the tallest, at 207 feet (63 m), for 14 years.^[6]

Many buildings in Portland from this period employed theChicago school and commercial style of architecture.Beaux-arts andNeoclassical architecture were also common.

Meier & Frank Building (1909),Seward Hotel (1909),American Bank Building (1913),Oregon Journal Building (1912),United States National Bank Building (1917)

Standard Insurance Center (1970)

U.S. Bancorp Tower (1983)

KOIN Tower (1984)

The late 20th century saw a massive increase of modern skyscrapers.International style andmodernist architecture dominated most of the buildings in this time period. Beginning in 1962, multiple buildings were completed, seemingly competing for tallest building. In Portland's timeline of tallest buildings, half of them were built in the 1960s and 1970s. TheHilton Portland Hotel was the tallest from 1962 to 1965.^[7] A carpenters strike halted the project temporarily during construction.^[8] The West Tower of theHarrison Tower Apartments, a modernist building reminiscent ofNew York City housing projects, was tallest from 1965 to 1969.^[9] TheUnion Bank Tower, followed by theStandard Insurance Center, both International style office buildings, were tallest for less than one year and two years, respectively.^[10][11]

In 1972, theWells Fargo Center was completed, and has been the tallest building in the city since.^[12][13]

In 1982, the City of Portland completed thePortland Building.^[14] The building provides office space for city employees to supplement the limited space inPortland City Hall. The building, designed byMichael Graves, was unique for its inclusion of a variety of surface materials and colors, small windows, and inclusion of prominent decorative flourishes.^[15] When designing the building,MayorFrank Ivancie wanted a building that stood out, echoing concerns from many in the community that the modernist style made downtowns look boring and lacking of character.^[16] The west side of the building is perched by the statue ofPortlandia, the "personification of Portland" featured on theSeal of Portland. It is the second largestcopper repoussé statue in the United States, after theStatue of Liberty.^[17] The Portland Building is often referred to as "one of the ugliest buildings in the world."^[18][19]

In 1983, theU.S. Bancorp Tower was completed. Designed byPietro Belluschi, the building is notable for its unique pink color and windows that can absorb or reflect light differently depending upon how much light is upon them, earning it the nickname "Big Pink" by locals. Because of the unique street grid and the way the building was designed, the building looks either extremely slender or wide depending upon one's viewing angle.^[20] Since its construction, "Big Pink" has remained the second tallest building in Portland.^[21][22]

The next year, theKOIN Tower, Portland's third tallest building, was completed as part of a redevelopment project. The building is unique for its orange brick exterior and steel, sloping roof.^[23]

The city has had 9 recorded tallest buildings, the longest of which has been theWells Fargo Center since 1972. The current tallest high-rises and skyscrapers in Portland (as of January 2025) are:

Other notable buildings in Portland include:

• The Armory, a Romanesque Revival former armory now used as a theater space.
• The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, a restored historic theater (formerly The Paramount) and accompanyingHeathman Hotel.
• TheBenson Hotel, an elegant, restored historic hotel.
• Pietro Belluschi'sEquitable Building was the first aluminum-clad building and the first to be completely sealed with an air-conditioned environment.
• Lloyd Center mall, Oregon's largest mall, opened in the summer of 1960.
• TheMeier & Frank Building –Meier & Frank's full-block, glazed terra-cotta flagshipdepartment store.
• TheModa Center, home of thePortland Trail Blazers.
• TheOregon Convention Center's twin spires are a prominent feature on the eastside skyline.
• ThePioneer Courthouse, the oldest federal building in thePacific Northwest and the second-oldest west of theMississippi River.
• ThePittock Mansion is a popular tourist attraction.
• ThePortland Building, byMichael Graves, the majorpost-modern building constructed in the U.S.
• TheSeward Hotel, better known as the Governor Hotel (east wing), now part of theSentinel Hotel.
• Union Station, an active Florentine-style train station with a 150 ft.clock tower.
• TheUnited States National Bank Building, a largeclassical-style bank building built in 1917 that remains in near-original condition. This is the oldest extant branch ofUS Bank.
• One of the largest collections ofcast iron architecture in the United States, primarily inOld Town. A classic example of such construction is theGrand Stable and Carriage Building, built by Oregon business pioneerSimeon Gannett Reed.

Portland has many bridges:

• St. Johns Bridge (1931; suspension)
• Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5.1 (1908swing span converted in 1989 tovertical-lift)
• Fremont Bridge (1973;tied-arch)
• Broadway Bridge (1913;bascule truss)
• Steel Bridge (1912; steel through-truss, double-deck vertical lift)
• Burnside Bridge (1926; bascule draw)
• Morrison Bridge (1958; bascule draw)
• Hawthorne Bridge (1910; through truss, vertical lift)
• Marquam Bridge (1966; through truss)
• Tilikum Crossing (2015; cable-stayed)
• Ross Island Bridge (1926; cantilever truss)
• Sellwood Bridge (2016; deck arch)

• Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge (1982; segregated concrete box girder)
• Interstate Bridge (1917/1958; through truss, vertical lift)
• Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 9.6 (1908; with a 450-footswing section)

• Vista Bridge

• List of sports venues in Portland, Oregon
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Portland

• Skyscraperpage.com diagram of Portland's buildings by height
• PCC.edu: Guide to Portland's Bridges
• City of Portland's List of Historic Landmarks (Excel spreadsheet)
• Architecture Foundation of Oregon - Look Around Guide to Portland Architecture
• Bibliography of Portland Architecture and Architectural History
• Portland Oregon Architecture: An Architectural Map

• Architecture in Portland, Oregon
• Architecture in the United States by city

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