U.S. Bancorp Tower, Modern office skyscraper in downtown Portland, United States.
The U.S. Bancorp Tower is a modern office building in downtown Portland with 42 floors wrapped in distinctive pink granite and tinted glass panels. Its irregular footprint follows the surrounding street grid, creating an unconventional geometric shape that differs from typical rectangular towers.
The tower was completed in 1983 and initially served as the national headquarters for U.S. Bancorp before the corporation relocated its main offices to Minneapolis in 1997. This move marked a significant shift in the building's role and purpose within Portland's business landscape.
The nickname "Big Pink" comes from the pink granite quarried in Spain and the copper-and-silver coating on the windows that looks pink from outside. The 30th floor has housed the Portland City Grill since a 2002 renovation, a restaurant cited as having the best view in Portland.
The tower is easily accessible with multiple street-level entries for visitors and employees, and it is well-connected to public transportation and nearby parking. Walking around the building offers different perspectives due to its irregular shape, which creates varied sightlines from different angles.
The tower was designed by the renowned architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who created an inventive response to the land constraints posed by the surrounding street layout. No right angles appear in the building's footprint because of this clever adaptation to Portland's urban grid.
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