Director Park Pavilions

City of Portland

Portland, Oregon

650 sq ft

Director Park is a distinctive feature in downtown Portland, providing high-quality open space for residents, employees, and shoppers that contributed to the revitalization of the West End. Planning for the design and construction of Director Park involved a citizen steering committee and numerous public involvement opportunities, including presentations, open houses, workshops, questionnaires, and a website. The design concept was the result of a collaborative process among the design team, comprised of several firms including TVA, ZGF, OLIN, and Mayer/Reed, together with the City of Portland Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, and the Water Bureau.

A result of a long-held city goal to connect the historic south and north park blocks, the park was built over a six-level underground garage that serves both the Fox Tower and Park Avenue West. The plaza above provides the canvas for a composition of structures and spaces that accommodate various functions. As an extension of the parking structures below, TVA designed the small, glassy pavilions to shelter users as they access the elevators to and from the underground parking. The transparency is useful for both safety and allowing connectivity between people, whether inside or out.