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 structure was completed in 2017 by Guerrilla Development as part of the broader Burnside Bridgehead project aimed at urban revitalization. The hand-painted artwork was finalized in June of the same year, establishing the building's distinctive appearance from the start.
The exterior design by Los Angeles artist James Jean was realized through hand-painted artwork, making the building a notable public art installation within the neighborhood. The colorful facade has become a gathering point for those interested in street art and contemporary design.
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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