ONE PACIFIC SQUARE

Leveraging the unrealized connections and opportunities within Portland, this project aims to serve as a catalyst for Old Town’s revitalization. The combination of Portland’s proximity to the Cascadia subduction zone and the “Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub,” paired with the development of infilled lands along the Willamette, has threatened the livelihood of Portland on both sides of the river.

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The site proposal creates a critical, direct link to the Willamette that insists the city acknowledge the river as a public working waterfront. The act of inverting the city towards the Willamette promotes the river as a resource offering recreation and clean public transportation networks along a new "main street" for Portland which connects with existing pedestrian and transit infrastructure in the neighborhood.

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The overall building and site work together to facilitate the restoration of the river through water catchment, recycling, on-site storm management and natural filtration features that return run-off and building water to the river clean. A public shift in attitudes towards the river will increase pressure on the city to remove existing fossil fuel transport and storage networks on the Willamette, making Portland safer for everyone.

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Within Old Town, One Pacific Square rises high above neighboring buildings. A generous atrium penetrates to the ground floor, releasing unobstructed views previously reserved for corporate executives to the public and drawing light deep into the tower. The building is inverted to become a vertical extension of the waterfront, encouraging the public to view and experience the city from a new perspective.