Pioneer
Courthouse
Square
What could have been?
Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square serves as a civic centerpiece that is both well-known and heavily utilized. The Square is so beloved that it has earned the nickname, Portland’s Living Room. But have you ever wondered about how the Square came to be, or what was there before?
The Pioneer Courthouse Square block has evolved throughout the years. The block served as the site for Portland’s first schoolhouse, Central School, which opened in 1858. The Northern Pacific Terminal Company purchased the block in 1882 and moved the school to Park Street in order to start work on building the Portland Hotel, which operated from 1890 to 1951. Meier & Frank purchased the building in 1944, and then demolished the hotel in 1951 in order to build a parking lot.
At a time when the city was re-evaluating its downtown core development, it was proposed that the Meier & Frank parking lot become an open space available to the community. In 1979, after five years of public engagement, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee suggested a competition to decide the future design of Pioneer Courthouse Square.
The Advisory Board worked with architects, the Metropolitan Arts Commission, the Portland Development Commission, community groups, and city agencies to develop the competition. The City Council appointed a Jury of Award, and a call for proposals went out.
The controlling concept for the design included that the Square should be “distinctive, dynamic, elegant, inviting and unique to the area.” Additional guidelines stated that the Square should be “a day and evening, all season, all weather, people-oriented space.”*
A total of 162 submissions were received and the Jury interviewed ten firms. Five finalists were selected. In the end, the design team lead by Willard K. Martin was selected, and by 1984 the Pioneer Courthouse Square had its grand opening. The Square has served as Portland’s Living Room ever since.
This exhibit showcases the four finalists that were not chosen, and lead us to ask the question, what if? As you explore the four designs, consider how a different selection might have changed the way we utilize Pioneer Courthouse Square? Would a different design change the course of the City’s development or the ways the community uses the Square? Would we still consider the Square as Portland’s Living Room?
“The approach embodies a civic square with a grand open area, suitable for the city-wide celebrations which should properly take place in this dynamic city.”
-Report of the Jury of Award, commenting on the design chosen for Pioneer Courthouse Square, 1980.
City of Portland Archives and Record Center
The Archives and Records Management Division operates the City of Portland Archives
and Records Center, making city administrative and historical records accessible to the public
and City employees for research and inspection in accordance with Oregon’s public records laws.
www.portland.gov/archives
Research
Please contact us via email
or phone to schedule an appointment.
Location
1800 SW 6th Avenue, Suite 550
Portland, OR 97201
Contact Information
(503) 865-4100
PARC@portlandoregon.gov
Never Built: Pioneer Courthouse Square 