Pearl District News

[pylon]

Maybe we should wait until the building's finished before final judgement. And even then it could take some more time before an appeal for it grows/makes itself known. Non-architectural example- when I first put Paul Simon's Graceland in my CD player I either didn't know to make of it or like it that much. After a couple more spins I started to "get it", and that CD stayed in my player for the next month.

[tworivers]

^^ Good point. cab's point is well-taken, too. My initial response was wishing that the recessed east side of the building continued down the north side -- there's something awkward about how the two fit together. Maybe it's just the contrast between compelling and afterthought.

[holladay]

^ "The contrast between compelling and afterthought." Hahaha, I like that.

[zilfondel]

I have a feeling this is one of those buildings you have to tour inside to really appreciate...

[WonderlandPark]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

I have a feeling this is one of those buildings you have to tour inside to really appreciate...

I looked as best as I could at the inside, through the windows and it does look pretty spectacular. The long side will be pretty open inside and appears sort of atrium-like. Outside it is pretty boring, but still a work in process. I Ziba is leasing out some of the space, there is a for lease sign up.

[pylon]

I wonder if it will look better too (from the outside) once activated with people inside. The west side's picture frame almost looks like its intended to create a living diorama of sorts. It would be nice to see the architect's programatic intentions of the design as it relates to Ziba's work.

[Valentij]

I like it. I think this style of Holst's is a little challenging, but wins out in the end. This building reminds me of the Clinton Street Condos. I always felt a little uneasy about that building, but it has been growing on me ever since it was built. Biking by the other day, with the COR-TEN rusted and the aqua-marine glass gleaming, I fully embraced the genius of that acquired taste. Now I think of it as one of Portand's most interesting buildings. Hopefully the same will prove true here.

[Valentij]

I was curious, so I biked by here tonight. It's super cool in person. You can't really see the wood detail and angularity in the pictures, but up close it is really impressive. It kind of reminds me of the salvaged wood wall in Ping. Plus, the metal cladding looks much better in person. Good show, Ziba!

Does anyone know what is going to happen with the gravel lot directly in front of the long window bank? A park or a building? Gravel lot indefinitely?

[pylon]

Some dioramas. The one in the lower middle has about the same dimensions
as the front window on the Ziba building...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fileioramas_in_Tel_Aviv_Israel_.jpg

[redbeard]

http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=42259&a=245633

There is a proposal to put solar panels on the top of the retail building at 10th and Everett (one with Teardrop, Bishops, Ben+Jerrys, Cupcake Jones). According to the application it is a 12.3KW system.

The applicant is requesting Design Review approval for the installation of 60 Photovotaic Solar
Panels on the rooftop of an existing structure. The panels will be arranged in groups on the
rooftop to avoid shadows from existing rooftop mechanical equipment. The panels will project a
maximum of 15 inches above the rooftop and be screened from adjacent streets on the south
and east by the existing parapet wall.

[tworivers]

Out of the ground.

[WonderlandPark]

Interior views are online here:

http://www.portlandart.net/archives/2009/07/sneak_peak_at_z.html

[New Madrid]

most people probably already checked it out, but Brian Libby's got a post about the Ziba building from a few days ago. {click.}

[360Rich]

Street of Dreams is in the Pearl this year.

8 different penthouses at 937, Block 90, The Encore, and Waterfront Pearl.

http://www.streetofdreamspdx.com/home/home.php

[bvpcvm]

also, a half-block of three 4-story apt buildings on Pettygrove between 14th and 15th.

[Northeast79]

Here are some picks from the Tour Sunday:

One of the units in the 937



I really liked the red glass. Congrats to the architect and developer for making a statement.


Block 90



This was my favorite unit on the tour. What a huge deck!


The Encore

High ceilings in this one.




The Waterfront Pearl





I thought it was a good tour. I would have liked to have seen more buildings. But definitely worth the $15.

[MightyAlweg]

So I just got back home after my regular summer visit to Portland to see the family. One of the things we did as a family unit was go down to the Pearl District one afternoon and do the Street of Dreams home tour in all of those penthouse condos that no one wants to buy any more. And my overall opinion of the event and the concept was not good, although it was really funny to live through.

The first problem we had with the Street of Dreams being held in an urban environment instead of the usual suburban McMansion setting was a logistical one. Try and get two dozen people to cram into a small condo lobby and get into an elevator all at one time, and you can imagine the frenzy. Now try that with six dozen people all at one time, and you've got switchback queues through stuffy elevator lobbies with cranky people pushing their way into overloaded and airless elevator cars. Not fun. Not stylish. Not gracious. Not good.

Once up in the sky and in the hallway, you are asked to take your shoes off before you are allowed into the condos. That just caused more frenzy, big piles of shoes in the hallways, lots of West Hills Housewives being very grumpy about the whole process, and no one having any fun. (Except for my family, who found the whole thing so absurd as to be hilariously funny, especially when all the cranky housewives started bitching about it loudly.)

But then after all that hassle the payoff was lame. The units were decorated merely nice, and of course taste and style is a personally subjective thing. But none of these units were "WOW!" type design, or cutting edge style, or unlike anything you've seen before. They were all just varying degrees of nice model units on display, but with way too many people crowding through them all. Here in Orange County this past spring they held a similar event at a condo tower that can't sell any of the units and local OC designers went in and decorated five of the penthouses to the max; we're talking custom leather flooring (yes, leather floors), 15 foot tall leaded glass mirrors, coffee tables made out of plasma screen TV's, and custom furniture and design pieces unlike anything you've seen before. And you didn't have to take your shoes off.

But the Pearl District units were just sort of basic two bedroom plus den apartments with some wallpaper, maybe a few art pieces, and a trip to Design Within Reach for some chairs. Nothing was cutting edge or experimental, and nothing was worthy of the 2.0+ Million dollar price tags they are asking for these Pearl units. A 2 or 2.5 Million dollar penthouse deserves some ultraluxe furnishings, but apparently Street of Dreams couldn't get a designer to shell out any money. They really didn't do much with any of these units beyond basic decor and furniture items and a few candles or vases on the tables, although some of them had great views. A real let down overall.

There were so many people grumbling about the logistics and the lines and waiting and the stuffy lobbies that I wouldn't be surprised if they never tried this event in the Pearl District ever again. We did take the time to walk around the Pearl District a bit, and had a nice family dinner at a rather empty BlueHour on Wednesday evening.

Then on Thursday night I was back in the Pearl District for the First Thursday festivities and dinner with some old friends, the obligatory trip to Powell's, late cocktails, etc. The neighborhood was much busier on Thursday. And I was reminded how white, white, white Portland is, and especially the Pearl District demographic is. We're talking lilly, lilly white crowds here for First Thursday. All looking very alike, very formulaic, very cookie cutter. And did I mention WHITE?! Man, would it kill them to get some folks of color to move there, or at least go to dinner there once in awhile? It was so white and clone-like, it was creepy.

Overall a letdown for the peek at the penthouses of the Pearl District, even if I could afford the 2.5 Million dollar examples from the 2009 Street of Dreams.

[Okstate]

Let me get this straight...

- People were mad b/c other people were there?
- The elevators did not function like they're used to b/c there were other people there
- Having respect for the units by taking off your shoes really sent the "women" over the edge?


Do you think the decorations reflected the "normal" demographics' taste that shops for condos in the Pearl? I didn't care much for the decorations either but then again they certainly aren't used to selling units to my demographic, thus not giving a rats a$$ what I like or don't.

...Why is a coffee table made of a plasma T.V. cutting edge? Sounds like they were trying a little too hard.

[dkealoha]

Leather floors and plasma screen coffee tables? All I can say is thank GOD this is NOT Orange County. If anyone attended the Street of Eames tour, we ALL had to take our shoes off or wear booties over them. It's a matter of respect for the owners. SO, unless you want to pay tripple the entrance fee for them to re-finish the floors afterwards because it's too much trouble to take your shoes off, get over it.

[MightyAlweg]

I get taking your shoes off for homes owned by other people. There's a fantastic tour of Eichler homes here in OC and everyone knows to take their shoes off before you enter those amazing 1960's homes. It's also common practice to remove your shoes when you are enterting a home for sale and the realtor is showing it to you, as the people living there want to keep their carpet nice.

But those are homes people live in.

These Pearl District condos are homes no one is living in, or given any hint of buying them to live in anytime soon, and so they have dressed them up for the Street of Dreams. The adjecent units on the same floor were also all vacant, and many were open to walk into just to see the views or empty floorplan. The term "desolate" is apt here, and we marveled at how all of the units in the buildings appeared to be empty without any sign of furniture or window coverings seen in the entire buildings at 937, Encore and Waterfront Pearl. These are truly ghost towers, except for the decorated Street of Dreams units.

I have been to several Street of Dreams around Portland in recent years, and you NEVER remove your shoes. The developers put down carpet runners, and/or they put down a basic grade of carpet that they know they will be replacing at the end of the 4 week show.

Trust me, for the West Hills ladies and Desperate Housewives of Lake Oswego for whom the annual August visit to the Street of Dreams is mandatory, having to take off their shoes in every elevator lobby before they were allowed in was a big faux pas.

There was an exception, at the two 937 units, as they had flooring runners and some obviously commercial grade carpeting in the halls that they will obviously replace in three weeks. But Block 90 and Encore and Waterfront Pearl made you take your shoes off when you got out of the lobby.

As a reminder, myself or the rest of the family was not put out by it. And we realized how funny it was when we heard the other attendees grumbling and complaining. But removing your shoes is not a standard practice on the Portland Street of Dreams.