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Pioneer Courthouse SquarePioneer Courthouse Square, advertised as Portland's Living Room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² (3700 m²) city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon. On either side of the square are sheltered MAX lightrail stops. On one side you will find towering classical columns, while on the other they are toppled over like those of an ancient ruin. On one end is a Starbucks and a cascading waterfall fountain. Between them is an alcove in which many of the younger crowd gather to drink coffee and chat. The center of the square is arranged like an amphitheater, with steps serving as seats when the square is used for musical performances or other events. When not used for events, it is a place where citizens congregate, to talk, juggle or play hacky sack. On many days, you'll find one or two buskers lining the edges of the square. One of the more recognized pieces of public art in Portland is Seward Johnson's Allow Me. It is on the south side of the square, just above the amphitheater. Allow Me is a bronze statue of a man in a business suit, holding an umbrella and welcoming you with a friendly gesture. If you happen to be visiting the square at exactly noon, you will hear the Weather Machine, a tall pole topped with a large silver-colored orb. The day's weather is announced with a fanfare of trumpets, flashing lights, and a spray of mist. The orb opens to reveal one of the following: - a golden sun, for a clear day,
- a great blue heron, on drizzly days, or
- an open-mouthed dragon, when storms are forecast.
Dozens of events are held here each year, including free shows during spring and summer, sponsored by local businesses. Pioneer Square is a venue for speeches, political demonstrations, rallies and vigils. By Thanksgiving, a tall Christmas tree occupies the center of the square, and an annual New Year's Eve celebration is also held there. The square is named after Pioneer Courthouse, an 1875 federal building on the eastern edge of the square. History The square itself dates back to 1856, when the city purchased land which included the site as the location for Central School. The school was moved in 1883 when plans were made for a major hotel on the site in response to the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad. After delays due to a recession, the 17-story Portland Hotel was completed on the site in 1890. The hotel was the center of the city's social activity for the first half of the 20th century. In 1951, the hotel was torn down and a two-story parking lot was built. In the early 1970s, a comprehensive downtown plan proposed that the site become dedicated public space. By early 1980, a design competition was announced, seeking proposals for what was to become Pioneer Courthouse Square. Out of 162 submissions, five finalists emerged, from firms based in New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Los Angeles, Boston, and Portland. The Portland team, including chief designer Willard Martin, was selected. Their design received an "Architectural Design Citation" from Progressive Architecture magazine in 1981. Funding problems surfaced after the design was completed. Portland mayor Frank Ivancie led some downtown business owners and other influential citizens in opposing the concept of an open (instead of enclosed) public square, based on concerns that an open design would attract transients to the area. Former Governor Tom McCall, who by then was a television commentator, was indignant: - It would be a shock ... to many Oregonians to learn that a few power brokers have declared that the result of a nationwide design rivalry is meaningless...
The square's construction required $3 million for land acquisition and $4.3 million for the structures and amenities, a large enough amount that the opposition nearly doomed the project. Martin, together with other architects and volunteers, drew attention to the delays from the opposition by painting a stylized blueprint of the proposal on the site itself. But it took the formation of "Friends of Pioneer Square", a citizen's group led by city commissioners Charles Jordan and Mike Lindberg, and $750,000 raised by the sale of 50,000 inscribed bricks, to rescue the project. The project was completed in 1984. External links and sources
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