the mushroom
Lots of people were very intrigued by the 70′s mushroom building I’m working on, so I took advantage of the beautiful day and went up two flights to the roof of CHNN World Headquarters and snapped a picture. I’ll do some interior pictures and closeups soon.
Incroyable! Ugly and dangerous, kind like the U.S. economy.
You should have seen it when it was Harvest Gold. It’s actually much spookier up close, but at least it isn’t so glaringly vulgar painted dark. Unlike the economy, it did just get a bunch of steel put in it.
Wow. People actually live in that thing? Damn.
Some happily, even. The view is amazing, after all. Most are kind of chagrined about being so much poorer, though, as nearly as I can tell. My mysterious Portland commenter, nan, works in the boxy building immediately below, and had also looked up in fear.
Sadly, at that distance and angle the curviness and skinny base don’t show very well. I’ll do some more, natch.
How in hell do they get to it — a funicular from above? Below? Do they parachute in? Which direction does the sun come from?
Sadly, the glassy side with the balconies faces north, so nobody gets any sun until it’s too hot to be desirable. There’s a skinny little road, SW Hoffman, that skirts the front on the third, entry (!) floor, accessed by a hairpin (something we hags can relate to) turn from Broadway Drive to the left.
Interestingly, though there is no funicular, there’s an elevated tram nearby, leading from the hospital across the canyon to its now postponed satellite waterfront campus.
Do they shoot architects in Oregon? I mean, is there ever a season on them?
Would that there were. I once sent a withering rebuke to the Portland-based architect, Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works, for a dreadfully soulless and expensive glass pile by my old apartment, and the guy who also destroyed the Lollipop Building on Columbus Circle, belligerently and defensively wrote back to me with troll-like vehemence, even calling me, “Pal.” I think they should all have to take up a bond when they begin practice, requiring them to haul away their leavings.
Call me old fashioned but I am still in awe of Frank Lloyd Wright.
His stuff was ahead of its time but severely functional.
Wright’s buildings also had a lot of dignity, through use of elegant, often local materials, and a great sense of space. He also liked the floozies, as I recall…..
Hag,
Could you post a bigger picture of that building someplace? I am interested in it, but I can not see it very well.
Thank in advance,
me
Your wish is my command, Heru. I forgot my camera today, but it was so lovely out that I strolled up there in my spare time to take more pictures. This despite the fact that you not only failed to get that I was joking about the gun, but then called me a “literary homosexual,” one of which wasn’t likely a compliment, although I’m not sure which one.
Enjoy.
T