Oregon Convention Center
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Convention Center is a convention center
in Portland, Oregon
. Opened in 1990, it located on the east side of the Willamette River
in the Lloyd District
neighborhood. It is best known for the twin spire towers which provide light into the building's interior and for housing the world's largest Foucault Pendulum
. The center is owned by Metro
, the Portland area's regional government, and operated by the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission.
The building was designed by the architectural firm of Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF). It is the largest convention center in Oregon at nearly 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²). The complex includes 255000 square feet (23,690.3 m²) of exhibit space. It features the largest ballroom in the City of Portland at 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²). The original building opened in 1990 and was expanded in 2003. ZGF was also involved in designing the expansion. Most recently, the building has become known for upward illuminating the twin spires yearly on September 11 in memorial of the events of 9/11. In 2008 the OCC replaced its traditional Wi-Fi Hotspots
with Wi-Fi Array
s to provide wireless internet services which are sold to exhibitors and attendees.
The building and grounds also have an extensive set of public art
, with works from over two dozen mainly Pacific Northwest
artists. The collection includes paintings, plaques, glass and ceramic tiles, sconces, mosaics, bells, and parts of a large Douglas fir. Each of the towers has a focal point artwork, with a colorful 40-foot long Chinese dragon boat
suspended in the east tower, and a dramatic Foucault pendulum
hanging over a gilded halo of rays and an inlaid fantasy solar system in the floor of the north tower.
The region's light rail
system, MAX, serves the center with a station
on Holladay Street. TriMet
bus route 6 also serves the facility, and an extension of the Portland Streetcar
system is under construction in the area.
Across the street from the center, to the east, a 30000 ft2, full-block "outdoor plaza" facility for convention-related activities is under construction in 2011.
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Opened in 1990, it located on the east side of the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
in the Lloyd District
Lloyd District, Portland, Oregon
The Lloyd District is a primarily commercial neighborhood in the North and Northeast sections of Portland, Oregon. It is named after Ralph Lloyd , a California rancher, oilman, and real estate developer who moved to and started the development of the area.The Lloyd District is bounded by the...
neighborhood. It is best known for the twin spire towers which provide light into the building's interior and for housing the world's largest Foucault Pendulum
Foucault pendulum
The Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
. The center is owned by Metro
Metro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
, the Portland area's regional government, and operated by the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission.
The building was designed by the architectural firm of Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF). It is the largest convention center in Oregon at nearly 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²). The complex includes 255000 square feet (23,690.3 m²) of exhibit space. It features the largest ballroom in the City of Portland at 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²). The original building opened in 1990 and was expanded in 2003. ZGF was also involved in designing the expansion. Most recently, the building has become known for upward illuminating the twin spires yearly on September 11 in memorial of the events of 9/11. In 2008 the OCC replaced its traditional Wi-Fi Hotspots
Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
with Wi-Fi Array
Wi-Fi Array
Wi-Fi Array is the name Xirrus uses for a wireless device that allows up to 1,024 wireless users to connect to a wireless network. A single Wi-Fi Array replaces a wireless LAN controller and several wireless access points....
s to provide wireless internet services which are sold to exhibitors and attendees.
The building and grounds also have an extensive set of public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
, with works from over two dozen mainly Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
artists. The collection includes paintings, plaques, glass and ceramic tiles, sconces, mosaics, bells, and parts of a large Douglas fir. Each of the towers has a focal point artwork, with a colorful 40-foot long Chinese dragon boat
Dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...
suspended in the east tower, and a dramatic Foucault pendulum
Foucault pendulum
The Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
hanging over a gilded halo of rays and an inlaid fantasy solar system in the floor of the north tower.
The region's light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system, MAX, serves the center with a station
Convention Center (MAX station)
The Convention Center station is a light rail station on the MAX Blue, Green and Red lines in Portland, Oregon. It is the ninth stop eastbound on the Eastside MAX....
on Holladay Street. TriMet
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
bus route 6 also serves the facility, and an extension of the Portland Streetcar
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
system is under construction in the area.
Across the street from the center, to the east, a 30000 ft2, full-block "outdoor plaza" facility for convention-related activities is under construction in 2011.