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AKA: Commonwealth Building, Downtown, Portland, OR
Structure Type: built works - commercial buildings - office buildings
Designers: Belluschi, Pietro, FAIA, Architect (firm); Pietro Belluschi (architect)
Dates: constructed 1947-1948
14 stories
Building Notes
Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994) went to great lengths to insure that few projections disrupted the clean rectangular lines of this bank building; no element stood out more than seven-eights of an inch from the building, leading to an uncommonly pure form.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) presented the Equitable Savings and Loan Association Building #1 its 25-Year Award in 1982.
The History and Heritage Committee of the professional group, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), named the Equitable Building a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1980 for its pioneering use of heat pumps for heating and cooling.
Alteration
The building originally had 12 stories, but 2 more were added. They were not full floor-plate stories, however.
National Register of Historic Places (Listed 1976-03-30): 76001584 NRHP Images (pdf) NHRP Registration Form (pdf)
PCAD id: 5303
