Fair-Haired Dumbbell, Office building in Kerns neighborhood, Portland, United States.
The Fair-Haired Dumbbell is an office building composed of two six-story towers linked by sky bridges in its midsection. All eight exterior faces display hand-painted artwork that covers the building's surfaces, creating visual interest from multiple angles.
The building was developed by Guerrilla Development as part of the Burnside Bridgehead project in the Kerns neighborhood. Its exterior design was created by Los Angeles artist James Jean and selected by the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the city, and Guerrilla Development. Dan Cohen painted the artwork in June 2017.
The exterior artwork was created by Los Angeles artist James Jean, chosen by the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the city and Guerrilla Development. Dan Cohen painted it in June 2017. The painted faces cover all eight sides of the two towers, so the work reads differently from each approach.
The building sits at 11 Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the Kerns neighborhood and is easily accessible on foot. The painted facades can be viewed from all sides, so walking around the structure provides different viewing angles of the artwork.
The building's distinctive name comes from its dumbbell-like form created by two towers connected by a central bridge, which is most apparent from certain viewing angles. This geometric design was intentional, giving the structure a memorable profile in the urban landscape.
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