Tower Of Power

Skylab Architecture’s Yard leads Portland’s east side into a taller future—and a citywide conversation.

- Brian Libby

As greater Portland, Oregon, undergoes a period of rapid growth, with nearly 700,000 new residents expected by 2040 and an urban growth boundary limiting sprawl at its suburban edges, the Yard, a new mixed-use apartment building, has become a lightning rod in the city.

Located across the Willamette River from downtown, the $63 million project is an outlier. Its luxury apartments are the first in the Central Eastside Industrial District, an area composed of low-slung warehouses. The new property is also the face of the controversial Burnside Bridgehead development, a formerly city-owned parcel now occupied by a quartet of buildings.

None rise as high as the Yard. Living inside the 21-story tower, whose plan resembles a mirrored chevron, brings more than panoramic views of the city. Its studio and one- and two-bedroom units offer a variety of amenities, from black-glass ranges and granite countertops to smart-home technology (in some units) and electric car–charging stations. Communal coworking and lounge areas encourage a sociable atmosphere, especially on shared indoor and outdoor portions of its landscaped podium.