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Wells Fargo Center (Portland, Oregon)
Encyclopedia
Wells Fargo Center is an office building located in Portland
, Oregon
, United States
. The tower rises 546 feet (166.4 m) with 40 floors of office space and three levels of parking below the surface. When the structure was completed in 1972, the center became the tallest building in the State of Oregon.
. Originally named the First National Bank Tower, the building opened on April 17, 1972, and was formally dedicated on May 25, 1972. At that time, the bank occupied the first 21 floors of the tower and the entire connected, five-story building, which is known as the Data Processing Building. The name was changed to the First Interstate Tower in 1981, after First National Bank of Oregon was acquired by First Interstate Bancorp
. The current name was adopted after Wells Fargo
purchased First Interstate in 1996. Upon opening in 1972, the Wells Fargo Center dwarfed all other existing high-rise developments in downtown Portland. Public outcry over the tower's scale and the potential of new development to block views of Mount Hood
led to height restrictions on all new development.
The public areas underwent extensive renovation in 2001, including the addition of more retail space. Renovations were completed in 2002 at a cost of $35 million. Focused on the lobby area, the work included the addition of a display on the bank's history. The center had been the headquarters of Willamette Industries until 2003, when that company was bought by Weyerhaeuser
.
. The tower is located in Downtown Portland
bounded by Southwest Fourth and Fifth avenues between southwest Columbia and Jefferson streets. A skyway
connects the tower to the adjacent five-story Data Processing Building, which is also part of the Wells Fargo Center. The 41-story building is the tallest building in Oregon. The main bank lobby is home to an authentic 1870 stagecoach
from Wells Fargo's past
.
Architectural details include extensive use of marble
. There is a total of 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) of marble in the building, with the base utilizing 1/16 in marble. The exterior of the building has columns of black glass separated by columns of white marble running the entire height of the building.
, writing about Portland for The New York Times
in 1976, stated the building was "huge and sleek and featureless".
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The tower rises 546 feet (166.4 m) with 40 floors of office space and three levels of parking below the surface. When the structure was completed in 1972, the center became the tallest building in the State of Oregon.
History
The building and a connected five-story building were designed by Charles Luckman and AssociatesCharles Luckman
Charles Luckman was a businessman and an American architect, famous as the "Boy Wonder of American Business" when he was named president of the Pepsodent toothpaste company in 1939 at the age of thirty...
. Originally named the First National Bank Tower, the building opened on April 17, 1972, and was formally dedicated on May 25, 1972. At that time, the bank occupied the first 21 floors of the tower and the entire connected, five-story building, which is known as the Data Processing Building. The name was changed to the First Interstate Tower in 1981, after First National Bank of Oregon was acquired by First Interstate Bancorp
First Interstate Bancorp
First Interstate Bancorp was a bank holding company based in the United States that was taken over in 1996 by Wells Fargo. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it was the nation's eighth largest banking company....
. The current name was adopted after Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
purchased First Interstate in 1996. Upon opening in 1972, the Wells Fargo Center dwarfed all other existing high-rise developments in downtown Portland. Public outcry over the tower's scale and the potential of new development to block views of Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
led to height restrictions on all new development.
The public areas underwent extensive renovation in 2001, including the addition of more retail space. Renovations were completed in 2002 at a cost of $35 million. Focused on the lobby area, the work included the addition of a display on the bank's history. The center had been the headquarters of Willamette Industries until 2003, when that company was bought by Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...
.
Details
Wells Fargo Center contains the regional headquarters for Wells Fargo BankWells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
. The tower is located in Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
bounded by Southwest Fourth and Fifth avenues between southwest Columbia and Jefferson streets. A skyway
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
connects the tower to the adjacent five-story Data Processing Building, which is also part of the Wells Fargo Center. The 41-story building is the tallest building in Oregon. The main bank lobby is home to an authentic 1870 stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
from Wells Fargo's past
History of Wells Fargo
This article outlines the history of Wells Fargo & Company from its origins to its merger with Norwest and beyond. The new company chose to retain the name of "Wells Fargo" and so this article also includes the history after the merger.-Origins:...
.
Architectural details include extensive use of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. There is a total of 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) of marble in the building, with the base utilizing 1/16 in marble. The exterior of the building has columns of black glass separated by columns of white marble running the entire height of the building.
Reception
The design of the building has been criticized for a variety of architectural issues. Ivan DoigIvan Doig
Ivan Doig is an American novelist. He was born in White Sulphur Springs, Montana to a family of homesteaders and ranch hands. After the death of his mother Berneta, on his sixth birthday, he was raised by his father Charles "Charlie" Doig and his grandmother Elizabeth "Bessie" Ringer...
, writing about Portland for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
in 1976, stated the building was "huge and sleek and featureless".
See also
- List of tallest buildings by U.S. state
- Architecture of Portland, Oregon
- List of tallest buildings in Portland, Oregon
External links
- Wells Fargo Center official website