Besides hitting up the
Wright in Silverton, I was able to spend a few hours in Newport, Corvallis, and Portland before heading home Lots of natural beauty and murals, but also some Brutalist landscaping architecture by Lawrence Halprin and Angela Danadjieva as part of Portland's
Open Space Sequence. Portland installed the Sequence between 1963 and 1970 (50 years ago!) in what Ada Louise Huxtable called "one of the most important urban spaces since the Renaissance." As an added bonus, the whole area is bubbling with Brutalism of the same vintage. With the tree canopy in its full regalia, it's a pleasant stroll through an actual urban landscape where nature and the built environment embrace each other. I was able to dodge Nazis and the Antifa to foot and shoot the parks.
Halprin collaborated with his wife,
Anna, a dance choreographer;
Charles Moore, a prominent post-Modernist from Austin in designing the sequence; and
Angela Danadjieva of his office (who, by my eyes [at least on this project] out-prinned Halprin).
newport
Before heading over to Corvallis to visit with family, I was able to roll out to the
Yaquina Head Lighthouse, visible from Agate Beach, which is where I spent the night before enjoying the sunset. Siri, after asking her what the best place to eat in Newport was, led me to
Local Ocean Seafood on the docks.
Local Ocean Seafood has a nifty place
corvallis
Corvallis is a lazy little college town that is graced with a few murals downtown...
Check that baby out: a nearly original and still operating Greyhound bus station!
portland
After getting up early on Saturday morning, I hightailed it to Portland to see the Halprin urban park and visit Powell's bookstore. After parking for Powell's several blocks away, I stumbled upon a Rone, so off I went on an unexpected mural walk as well. I got stumped as well! Made it to the airport on time!
Halprin's Lovejoy Fountain with Moore's pavilion behind. I couldn't get a close look since the area was fenced off for remodeling.
I found Danadjieva's Keller Fountain far more interesting and ambitious. No water, but at least it was open for perusing.
Halprin's Pettygrove Park (also called, somewhat jokingly, Mae West Park).
