Hyatt Centric Portland is a 15-story contemporary boutique hotel designed as a gateway experience to the most recognizable Northwest experiences — a building that embraces biophilic principles such as spectacular views, references to majestic forests, use of native materials, and a constantly changing character in response to daily and seasonal cycles of the micro-environment.
Like the trestle bridges and the old growth forest of the region, the hotel mass appears supported by a colonnade of irregular wooden trunks — an “urban forest” sheltering public areas. To capture the expansive range of light in the Pacific Northwest on the greater hotel façade, the design team found inspiration in native basalt. Known for its dynamic geometry, the volcanic rock provides a shape-shifting appearance throughout the day. Likewise, the hotel’s skin gives the building a monolithic look under cloud cover, while producing dynamic shifts of light and shadow in direct sun. In the rain, the slick exterior captures and reflects light from its environment.
The interiors of the hotel embrace the community’s natural wonders — immersing guests further into the exploration of the Portland spirit through local art, patterning, materiality, craftsmanship, color, and cultural “Easter Eggs” hidden throughout. Dynamic gathering areas like the lobby’s “Basecamp,” or the poem-carved bench along the facade, beckon people outside to come in, and those inside to venture out.
Hyatt Centric Portland was designed to enhance its neighboring context with a refined diversity, skillfulness, and articulation. Set amid an already-architecturally and historically rich area, the reward in its design is the subtle details and shifting appearance.
