Details
The four-story building is in the Italian Renaissance style of architecture with a sandstone exterior. The interior of City Hall covers 87,500 square feet (8,130 m2), with 48,128 square feet (4,471.2 m2) of usable space. Measured along Fifth Avenue, it is 180 feet (55 m) wide. Viewed from above the building is similar in shape to the letter E, with the rotunda as the middle protruding portion of the building. There are two wings that extend toward Fourth Avenue, one on the far north and the other on the far south, each only a single story in height where it is closest to Fourth. The rotunda is three stories high, with the portico comprising the first floor. Granite columns imported from Scotland are used to support the portico. Portland City Council chambers occupy the two other floors inside of the rotunda, on the east side of the building.
On the roof of City Hall are 4-foot-tall (1.2 m) ornamental urns, originally made of limestone. During the last remodel they were replaced using lightweight material for pedestrian safety. The building features dentil molding where the roof meets the walls, and the fourth floor has a balcony with paired Tuscan columns on the west side. Additionally, the exterior features keystones over the windows on the first and second floors, plus a balustrade along the roof line. Inside the High Renaissance building, the columns of the lobby are covered with a fake marble coating called Scagliola. The lobby has marble flooring and oak woodwork. In the atrium the walls are covered in a white tile that was re-discovered during the 1996 remodel.
The Pettygrove Room on the second floor is named for Francis W. Pettygrove, the Portland founder who won the coin toss to name the city. The main stairway at City Hall has 77 steps, with iron handrails and tile steps. The building sits 70 feet (21 m) above sea level. Artwork in the building includes works by Norie Sato, a mural by Michael Brophy in the Council Chamber, a constantly changing work called the "Visual Chronicle of Portland" located on the main floor, and changing exhibits.
The Governmental Relations office and the office of the city's attorney are on the fourth floor. On the third floor are the mayor's office, the ceremonial Rose Room, a balcony for the Council chambers, Audit Services, and the city's affirmative action office. The second floor contains the city council chambers, two conference rooms, and four commissioners' offices. On the main floor is the lobby, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, an information desk, and offices for the city auditor, council clerk, and city treasurer. The grounds of the building include a rose garden, trees, a vegetable garden, and other landscaping.
Read more about this topic: Portland City Hall (Oregon)
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