KOIN Center, Portland

KOIN Center is a 35-storey mixed-use tower completed in 1984. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, now ZGF Architects, it rises about 155 metres and contains offices, residential condominiums, commercial spaces, and parking. Originally named Fountain Plaza, it soon became known as KOIN Center because KOIN television was its most prominent tenant. The original name referred to the nearby Keller Fountain, which influenced the planning of the surrounding public spaces.

The building is a notable example of Postmodern architecture. Orange-brown brick, glass, pale stone at the base, stepped upper levels, and a blue pyramidal crown create its distinctive profile. Its tapering form has sometimes led local residents to compare it to a mechanical pencil. The tower was controversial during construction because it interrupted a long-established view of Mount Hood seen by eastbound drivers emerging from the Vista Ridge Tunnels.

For many years, the third floor housed the six-screen KOIN Center Cinema, which closed in 2004. The former cinema space is now occupied by All Classical Radio’s Media Arts Center. A major renovation completed in 2016 modernised the main lobby and introduced a large 32-screen media wall, alongside updated communal and tenant facilities.