Hyatt Centric (619 SW 11th Ave) | 150' feet | 15 floors | Complete

[maccoinnich]

Notice of a Rescheduled Public Hearing

[maccoinnich]

Drawings [PDF - 8MB] Staff Report, which doesn't yet recommend approval

[maccoinnich]

15-story hotel to rise from former United Way property



A 15-story hotel will likely rise from a quarter-block property that United Way of Columbia-Willamette has been peddling since early 2015.

The property, at Southwest 11th Avenue and Southwest Alder Street, is currently home to one of two buildings that the nonprofit owns. In March 2015, United Way announced it would be marketing the properties, along with a 10,000-square-foot parking lot at Southwest 13th Avenue, for sale.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

[pdxtraveler]

Still haven't seen any sign of a flag for this one. Anyone heard anything? I personally like the wood beams the Commission didn't particular like.

[urbanlife]

As someone who doesn't care about how tall a building is in Portland, as long as it works best at street level, I would have really liked to see this building be 10-20 stories taller. It is a good looking design for the most part, and it doesn't matter how tall a hotel is when it comes to how it works with the urban fabric because it would be the same if it was 3 stories as it would be if it was 40 stories.

[maccoinnich]

[Pavlov's Dog]

I love the lower levels and like the white view from the corner. The gray and white slabs don't appeal to me though. They look disjointed. It would have been nice to see some of the diagonal lines continue in the design upwards.

[cityscapes]

This project looks cheap. With better materials and more variation to the facade it could be much better looking.

[Sioux612]

The base is unique but the tower is ....bleh.

How I loathe stucco.

[maccoinnich]

Revised drawings [PDF - 7.5MB] and Staff Report, which recommends approval.

[Tykendo]

Another nice design goes bye bye. I mean, it wasn't amazing, but certainly better than this hospital from the '70's design. UGH!

[baloneyjoe]

I agree with Tykendo, the original design wasn't a masterpiece, yet it had at least some distinctive features. This new version would be difficult to pick out of a lineup of recent mid-rise construction projects.

I realise this comment might be better suited to the thread specifically about the design commission, but what is it about Portland's review process that seems to squelch almost all artistic expression out of the designs for proposed new buildings? I understand the need to have standards and guidelines, but to look at some of what's been proposed in comparison to what has actually been built is an astonishing study in contrast, the result of which has been, ironically, a cityscape with relatively little contrast at all. Either I'm missing something huge, or that's the intent. I ask this with all due respect to architects and city planners, and as a complete outsider to the process (I'm a science teacher, for God's sake!). And also a couple of glasses of wine on board...

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Revised drawings [PDF - 7.5MB] and Staff Report, which recommends approval.

The context page shows how far this design falls short. "Context" as in, "Here's the neighborhood we're dumbing down." It isn't the worst thing ever, but it sure could end up being awful if what gets built looks cheap.

[DMH]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

The context page shows how far this design falls short. "Context" as in, "Here's the neighborhood we're dumbing down." It isn't the worst thing ever, but it sure could end up being awful if what gets built looks cheap.

I agree with the growing consensus that this has become a disappointing hotel proposal. Based on the materials and the detailing, this is a fairly low-budget project. Though the DR staff gave it a thumbs-up, the Design Commission could direct the design team to come back with a more interesting and better-detailed building.

[WestCoast]

We just have the most bland architecture in this town.

Can nothing be done about it?

[maccoinnich]

Although the hotel operator hasn't been announced, this is clearly not a high budget project. To my eyes the redesign, though fairly conservative, has a well composed elevation with a limited palette of high quality materials (precast concrete, aluminum / fiberglass windows and aluminum storefront). Getting too ambitious on a limited budget is rarely a recipe for success; indeed I seem to remember a lot of criticism on this forum directed at a certain project, that initially was praised, but then fell out of favor when it became obvious that it couldn't reach its architectural ambitions within the constraints of its budget.

As for the quality of buildings that are getting in built in Portland, may I point out that there are two projects under construction right now designed by internationally famous architects? (They are the PSU School of Business Administration and the Japanese Garden Expansion, by Behnisch and Kengo Kuma respectively.) And that three Portland based firms were recently ranked as among the best in the country for design? (ZGF, Works and Hacker).

[eric cantona]

honestly one of the better efforts to come out of SERA in a while. the brown bits are a little staid, if I'm being picky.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

We just have the most bland architecture in this town.

Can nothing be done about it?

curious - have you (or others bemoaning the state of design in Portland) spent any time in other cities to see what the typical, everyday architecture looks like? do you have a distinct idea about what constitutes good (or even "acceptable") design in other large cities in the US?

I am very extraordinarily curious and honestly interested in what you, and others that post along similar lines here, actually expect from the architecture and development community.

[tworivers]

For what it's worth, I think the updated tower design looks much more coherent and believable now. Impressive for SERA, given their often haphazard material combinations (I think of the Tupelo, a building I have to walk by just about every day and try to remember to forget). I guess I was more curious about the odd-angled wood beams at ground level than the Design Commission -- I wouldn't have minded seeing the architects take that general concept a bit further to add some warmth and personality at the pedestrian level.

I don't know what you guys are talking about complaining about PDX architecture in general right now. I feel like the tides have turned big time thanks to firms like WPA, Holst, Lever, etc. If we keep getting buildings like Slate I am one happy camper -- makes it much easier to write off the MOR stuff as "fabric" architecture, for one thing.

[BrG]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Although the hotel operator hasn't been announced, this is clearly not a high budget project. To my eyes the redesign, though fairly conservative, has a well composed elevation with a limited palette of high quality materials (precast concrete, aluminum / fiberglass windows and aluminum storefront). Getting too ambitious on a limited budget is rarely a recipe for success; indeed I seem to remember a lot of criticism on this forum directed at a certain project, that initially was praised, but then fell out of favor when it became obvious that it couldn't reach its architectural ambitions within the constraints of its budget.

As for the quality of buildings that are getting in built in Portland, may I point out that there are two projects under construction right now designed by internationally famous architects? (They are the PSU School of Business Administration and the Japanese Garden Expansion, by Behnisch and Kengo Kuma respectively.) And that three Portland based firms were recently ranked as among the best in the country for design? (ZGF, Works and Hacker).

Great points.

Also worth noting... American hotels are rarely the place that you will see high levels of design risk. That first scheme was surprisingly 'concept design' for a hotel.

Same with 'large lending institution' targeted housing development (200+ units). Just not the client groups that are most interested in architecture for the sake of architecture. (some exceptions exists, obviously). Projects that try at that scale.. are HARD to pull off in the Portland market (i.e. - Yard)

University work and cultural facilities on the other hand... are far more fertile ground for this.