Subject of this practical study is the examination of an office construction concept by the US-American architect and product designer Michael Graves, called the “Portland Building”.
The “Portland Building” serves as a 15-story municipal office building for the city of Portland, Oregon. Located in Portland’s strictly grid-planned downtown, it features a square footprint and a symmetrical cubical structure, reminiscent of an ancient Greek column. Completed in 1982, it counts as one of the first large scale post-modern buildings.
Attempting to distinct himself from the univalent modern architecture, Graves creates a solid concrete construction with a perforated facade. Creating an iconic appearance, the building is loaded with ornaments and classical as well as symbolic elements. The central access area serves as a structural core. On the inside the building is characterized by an open floor plan with free standing support beams.
My following architectural drawings examine the specifics of the object in detail.
