U.S. Bancorp Tower Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids U.S. Bancorp Tower
Viewed from street level
Alternative names	Big Pink Unico/U.S. Bancorp Tower
General information
Type	Commercial offices
Architectural style	Modernism
Location	111 SW 5th Avenue Portland, Oregon
Coordinates	45°31′22″N 122°40′34″W / 45.5228°N 122.6762°W / 45.5228; -122.6762
Construction started	1981
Completed	1983
Cost	US$60 million
Owner	Unico Properties, Wafra Investment Advisory Group, Broadreach Capital Partners
Height
Roof	163.38 m (536.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	42 (above ground)
Floor area	69,000 m² (740,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators	20
Design and construction
Architect	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Developer	U.S. Bancorp
Main contractor	Howard S. Wright Construction

The U.S. Bancorp Tower is a very tall building in Portland, Oregon. Many people call it "Big Pink" because of its unique color. It has 42 stories and stands about 163 meters (536 feet) high. This makes it the second tallest building in Portland. It is also the largest building in Oregon by the amount of office space inside. In 2019, it earned a special award called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification. This means it is very friendly to the environment and uses energy wisely.

Building History
Unique Design
Images for kids
See also

Building History

The U.S. Bancorp Tower cost $60 million to build. It was designed by a company called Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM). A famous architect named Pietro Belluschi also helped with the design. Construction started on May 29, 1981. The building was mostly finished by June 1983. It officially opened on December 1, 1983.

The tower was first the main office for U.S. Bancorp. This was a big bank company. Later, in 1997, the bank's main office moved to a different city. However, U.S. Bancorp still used a lot of space in the tower.

Since 2002, a popular restaurant has been on the 30th floor. It is called the Portland City Grill. This restaurant is known for having the best views in Portland. Imagine eating while looking out over the whole city!

Over the years, the building has been sold to different owners. In 2000, it sold for $165 million. By 2006, a large part of it sold for $286 million. In 2015, it sold again for $372.5 million. This was a record price for an office building in Portland.

Unique Design

The U.S. Bancorp Tower has a very unusual shape and color. Its designers wanted to make sure light and shadows looked interesting on its surface. The building lot was also a unique shape because of Portland's street grid. Because of this, the tower does not have any perfect right angles. This means it can look very thin or very wide depending on where you are standing.

The outside of the building is covered in pink granite. This stone came all the way from Spain. The windows are also a special pink color. This is because they have a thin coating of copper and silver. The windows can look darker or lighter depending on the time of day. The unique pink color is why people call the building "Big Pink". From 2013 to 2015, the inside of the building was updated.

In October 2019, the building received the highest award for being eco-friendly. It got the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification. This shows how well it uses energy and helps the environment.