So far… This is what I’ve got.
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Located on SE Water AVE and Salmon St., the area is one of the three empty lots owned by ODOT and is a gateway to Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade. The site is unique in that it has I-5 freeway off ramp running above creating a 17-feet-high space underneath. Currently, it is a left over space, but has a potential to create the connection from the east side industrial district to the esplanade.
The freeway running above creates an interesting condition on the site. It separates the Water Ave from the Esplanade and the Willamette River. The freeway creates the sense of compression in contrast to the openness of the site and the river.
This project is intended to bring back the connection between Water Ave and the river using series of public spaces. The volumetric shape of movie theaters are placed along Salmon St. through the freeway and out to the river. The theaters are linked together with a strip of circulation and supporting function.
As an attempt to connect the city (= man-made) to the river (= nature), each volumetric shape of the theater becomes less solid as it moves closer to the river. This creates the differentiation between the indoor space and the outdoor space as provided in the program. In addition, it allows the flexibility for the theater to become an outdoor space during the summer time.
The volumetric shape is also intended to become an iconic landmark in the city. The treatment of the facade allows the theater box to glow at night and be seen from across the river and over the freeway.
Read the small print. Normally inclusions like furniture are included in the mortgage, but you will see a seperate form at settlement. The seller needs to pay taxes on private property sold. Their problem, not yours. But it all depends on what you sign.