Formerly a parking lot the size of a city block, Simon and Helen Director Park is now a vibrant urban piazza in downtown Portland. The park, built entirely atop an underground parking garage, has created a variety of public spaces within the site’s compact footprint, with a range of microclimates, amenities and activities. A glass and wood trellis stands out as a signature element of the plaza, offering shaded seating and a café without disrupting views throughout the space. An interactive fountain element anchors the northwest corner of the site, partially bordered by an ipe wood bench, and on the southern edge, a small grove of trees frames a giant, whimsical chessboard. Amid this vibrant civic experience, the park also incorporates strategies for urban greening and stormwater management, including a green roof on the café, planting beds which filter and reserve runoff for irrigation, and even the trellis and paving, which are designed to direct rainfall into the park’s catchment system.
