Creating a sense of place and a local identity has been the driving force behind the design of a new pavilion for the Gateway District community in East Portland.  

The big idea is to provide Gateway with an identity through a series of installations and kiosks that create a sense of place while helping people navigate the neighborhood. The goal is to highlight the assets of the community, most notably Gateway Green, the new bike themed park located off the I-205 Multi-use path.  The main pavilion will be located near the Gateway Transit center and act as an iconic meeting point for people to gather. The pavilion will have information and wayfinding signage to help people find the Gateway Green park, and other amenities in the surrounding neighborhood. It will also act as a drop-off point for families, summer camps and other events that happen in Gateway Green. 

The form of the pavilion takes inspiration from the history of the area. It alludes to the arch that used to be located at the nearby Fred Meyers which originally gave the area the Gateway name. By carving out the arch from an abstract cube, the design references the past that is no longer physically there. The multi-colored pattern also makes reference to the diversity of cultures and ethnicities that call Gateway home. This district is the most diverse neighborhood in the entire state of Oregon. 

The design is currently in the construction documents phase and will be composed of laser cut steel in various forms and scales. The final design will create a large scale meeting point/shelter, a series of smaller scale information kiosks. 

For more information about our experience and process as architect on community design, please visit this page. 

Credit
Architect: Propel Studio


Location
Portland, Oregon
Gateway Neighborhood