Southwest Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

The Portland Building Transformation

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

1. The Portland Building Transformation Marker

Inscription.
The Portland Building Transformation

1982
The Portland Building was designed by renowned architect Michael Graves and originally constructed in 1982. The building earned international attention as an iconic example of the Postmodern architectural style. The Portland Building’s original exterior concrete walls, punched windows and adhered ceramic tiles were not well suited to the wet Oregon climate. This caused multiple building exterior performance issues including water leaks and failures in the adhered tile system.

2020
The City of Portland engaged DLR Group as architect and Howard S. Wright as contractor to comprehensively address existing building performance issues and modernize the building. The Portland Building Reconstruction project was completed in 2020. The updated building includes a new weather-tight skin over the existing exterior concrete enclosure. The new skin is composed of terra cotta tiles and aluminum panels that replicate the original building colors and formal design composition. This new skin prevents water infiltration and improves the building’s thermal and energy performance.

Today
The upper portion

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of the building enclosure as you see it today is an aluminum and glass curtainwall system that covers the original painted concrete exterior. The new terra cotta tiles at the base of the building have increased in scale from the tiles originally adhered to the concrete as required by the new attachment framing system. You can see the original building ceramic tile preserved at the main entry. The building’s original concrete wall enclosure remains underneath the new materials.

(Captions)
1982 The Portland Building

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1982.

Location. 45° 30.957′ N, 122° 40.734′ W. Marker is in Portland, Oregon, in Multnomah County. It is in Southwest Portland. It can be reached from the intersection of Southwest 5th Avenue and Southwest Main Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Portland OR 97204, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge

and in the Willamette

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

2. The Portland Building Transformation Marker

The marker is located in an alcove near the entrance of the Portland Building.

Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fountain for Company H (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); William W. Chapman (about 300 feet away); Daniel H. Lownsdale (about 400 feet away); Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument (about 400 feet away); 太湖石 / Lake Tai Rock (about 400 feet away); In Honor of Vietnam Veterans (about 500 feet away); The Washington Ellipse (approx. 0.2 miles away); The First Congregational Church of Portland (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portland.

By Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 4.0, October 7, 2018

3. The Portland Building Transformation Marker

The Portland Building (in downtown Portland, Oregon), undergoing rebuilding in October 2018.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

4. Portlandia

Portlandia by Raymond Kaskey is located above the entrance to the Portland Building, and is a symbol of the city.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 25, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.