Quote:
Originally Posted by Abide
Well, that facade is from the 40's, so I guess it'd qualify as historic. But it sure is butt-ugly. I'm really looking forward to this. I'd even be happy to see a few cast iron buildings that never should have been demolished be reborn on a few of those parking lots.
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I think (translation: obsess) a lot about what might have been if the exuberant America of the post-war era had been a bit more sensitive to good architecture and saved more of its antique treasures. Usually the The Portland Hotel is at the top of my list. It was such a grand hulk that it could have given Portland a European flavor, recalling the fairy-tale buildings of Bruges or Munich. Next would be the old Oregonian building, more Florentine in its visual language. After that, the cast-iron buildings, which if preserved in their totality would have made Portland the most necessary tourist destination in North America.
We should be thankful, of course, for what we have. And in this case, the resurrection of a small treasure.