State of Wonder

Portland Architect Brad Cloepfil Normally Designs Museums – Now He's Featured In One

By April Baer (OPB) and Aaron Scott (OPB)
June 4, 2016 3 p.m.
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Before architects make buildings, they make tiny buildings.

You’ve probably seen architectural models: they’re made of wood, are generally nice looking and offer an idea of what’s under construction.

But the exhibition "Case Works," on view at Portland Art Museum through Sept. 4, offers a much more elaborate, dreamy, often jewel-like kind of architectural model. These are buildings designed by Allied Works, the firm founded by Portland native and rock star architect Brad Cloepfil. With just a few drawings and a lot of elaborately crafted models, these works offer a window into the high-concept process that's made Allied one of the most sought-after firms in its field.

We walked through the exhibition with Cloepfil to discuss the models and some of the most famous buildings in his career — Wieden+Kennedy's headquarters in the Pearl, the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, the National Music Centre in Calgary — as well as the state of architecture and design in Portland today. You can see an annotated slide show of the buildings and models we discussed above.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: