Standard Plaza

Standard Plaza is a 16-story office building in downtown Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. At 222 feet (68 m) in height, it was the largest office building in Oregon when it was completed in 1963. The 217,000-square-foot (20,200 m2) structure, occupying a city block on SW 6th Avenue between Main Street and Madison Street, is owned by Standard Insurance Company, which also owns the neighboring Standard Insurance Center. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in the international style.

Standard Plaza
Location in Portland
General information
TypeOffices
Location1100 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, Oregon, USA
Coordinates45.516°N 122.6796°W / 45.516; -122.6796
Completed1963 (1963)
OwnerStanCorp Financial Group.[1]
Height
Roof222 ft (68 m)
Technical details
Floor count16
Floor area217,000 sq ft (20,200 m2)
Design and construction
ArchitectSkidmore, Owings and Merrill
Main contractorAndersen - Westfall

History

Construction firm Andersen–Westfall was awarded the contract to build Standard Insurance's new headquarters in March 1961.[2] The bid was for $6.4 million on the project that was expected to cost $8.3 million total.[2] Construction began in 1961, and by January 1962 the superstructure had risen to four stories above ground-level.[3] At that time it was expected that construction would be complete by March 1963.[3]

A strike in June 1962 by the Iron Workers Union halted work on the project, though the strike itself was part of a larger labor dispute between the union and the construction industry dating to May 1962.[4] A similar region-wide strike by the Carpenters Union had paused the project in April 1962, as well.[5] By late 1962 the Standard Plaza was expected to become the second-tallest building in Portland after the Hilton Portland Hotel.[6]

The building opened in June 1963 after a cost of $8.5 million to build.[7][8] At that time it was the largest office building in the state.[9] Original tenants included Dean Witter & Co., First National Bank of Oregon, Overseas Shipping Company, and the Portland office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, among others.[10] Several law firms moved into the building, due to its proximity to the federal and county courthouses.

The building earned a gold rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design in 2009 after upgrades that included more energy-efficient equipment and low-flow water fixtures.[1] In 2012, three electric vehicle Blink charging stations were added to the building's parking garage.[11] During a windstorm in December 2014, a piece of sheet metal blew from the neighboring PacWest Center and broke out glass on the Standard Plaza.[12]

Details
Weather beacon atop Standard Plaza
Weather beacon display panel in lobby

Architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the 222-foot (68 m) international-style structure.[13] Their design incorporated the use of aluminum and glass for the skin of the 16-story high-rise steel and concrete building.[13] The parking garage portion of the building has spaces for 265 vehicles.[11]

The building has a 50-foot-tall (15 m) weather beacon on top for a total height of 275 feet (84 m).[14][15] The 6-by-5-foot (1.8 m × 1.5 m) beacon glows red if the temperature is forecast to increase by 5 degrees or more, green if the temperature forecast is to be within 5 degrees, or white if the temperature is forecast to decrease 5 degrees.[16] Flashing lights mean precipitation is forecasted and steady indicates dry weather ahead.[16]

Standard Plaza is located in downtown between southwest Fifth and Sixth avenues and Main and Madison streets.[1] Neighboring buildings to the 217,000-square-foot (20,200 m2) high-rise include the PacWest Center to the south, the Solomon Federal Courthouse to the west, and the Portland Building to the east.[1] The interior of Standard Plaza provides one of the few unobstructed views of the Portlandia sculpture that adorns the Portland Building.[17]

See also

References
  1. "Standard Plaza earns LEED designation". Portland Business Journal. August 10, 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. "Firm Gives Low Plaza Job Bid". The Oregonian. March 17, 1961. p. 44.
  3. "New Standard Insurance Building Rising On City Skyline". The Oregonian. January 11, 1962. p. 16.
  4. "Iron Work Picketing Halts Job". The Oregonian. June 9, 1962. p. 1.
  5. Edwards, Herman (April 17, 1962). "Statewide Picketing In Effect". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  6. "Building Measurers Find Tallest Building In City". The Oregonian. August 16, 1962. p. 1.
  7. Barton, Frank (May 9, 1963). "Standard Plaza Building To Open Doors In September". The Oregonian. p. 70.
  8. "First Tenants Move Into Offices". The Oregonian. June 11, 1963. p. 15.
  9. Lattie, James (May 9, 1963). "Portland Hilton Marks Start Of Major Core Area Construction Projects". The Oregonian. p. 69.
  10. "Tenants Ready To Move Into Structure". The Oregonian. May 9, 1963. p. 70.
  11. O'Brien, Lindsey (February 15, 2012). "Charging stations installed at Standard Plaza". Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  12. Terry, Lynne (December 11, 2014). "Panel breaks free from Pacwest Center, slams into 15th floor of Standard building; 1 slightly injured". The Oregonian. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  13. "Standard Insurance Plaza". Buildings. Emporis GMBH. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  14. "Hilton Hotel Now Tops Portland Skyline". The Oregonian. August 15, 1962. p. 1.
  15. Lattie, James (May 9, 1963). "Portland Hilton Currently Holds Title As Tallest Building". The Oregonian. p. H13.
  16. Culverwell, Wendy (November 15, 2012). "Standard's weather beacon is here to stay". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  17. Nix, Nelle; Elizabeth Hartzell DeSimone (2002). Out and About Portland with Kids : the Ultimate Family Guide for Fun and Learning (2d ed.). Books for Parents. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-9715644-0-4.
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