William / Kaven and Kaven + Co. have unveiled plans for a bridged mixed-use skyscraper development that, if built, would become the tallest building in Portland, Oregon.
The project would replace the city’s soon-to-be-demolished USPS headquarters with a new 5-million-square-foot development consisting of multiple high-rise buildings containing facilities for retail, office, residential and a hotel.
The plan is organized around two central skyscrapers, the taller of which would top out at over 970 feet – more than foot feet taller than the city’s current tallest building, the Wells Fargo Center. The two skyscrapers would be linked at 680 feet high by a 236-foot-long glass-walled bridge housing a skygarden and offering unparallelled views of the city and the surrounding landscape.
Buildings would be built to the highest sustainability and energy efficiency standards, utilizing the latest heat pump technology as well as solar-panel-integrated curtain walls.
Partner of William / Kaven and Kaven + Co. founder Daniel Kaven believes the development could serve as a major incubator for the city, while becoming a new destination for both residents and tourists.
“What we have conceived is a dynamic, modern neighborhood centralized around an extension of the park blocks,” said Kaven. “The towers are large enough to serve as a headquarters for a Fortune 100 company, such as Amazon, and would anchor the entire district both architecturally and financially. The towers and interlinking skybridge would be an iconic addition to Portland’s skyline and a destination for locals and tourists alike. The elevated garden would be a tropical respite from the gray of the city at any time of the year and provide breathtaking views of Mt. Hood and the entire city skyline."
The development would also link to the adjacent Portland train station, which would be expanded to transform into a high-tech transportation hub that could connect existing Portland transportation networks with future systems, such as the proposed American Northwest Hyperloop One route.
“This is our opportunity to lead the effort to build a bullet train network that links Portland to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver from the heart of an already-existing downtown transportation hub. There is no better place, nor a better time, than the opportunity that is upon us, with this huge site next to our historic train station,” adds Kaven.
The project is currently in the conceptual design phase, and will be submitted to the City of Portland’s development department, Prosper Portland, for consideration in early 2018.
