Advisory committee, stakeholders, ponder new Sellwood Bridge design

By David F. Ashton

The Bee, Jul 7, 2010

David F. Ashton / THE BEE

Members of the public and the Sellwood Bridge Community Advisory Committee meet to discuss the look of the new bridge.

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Two different groups gathered in June to discuss the aesthetics of the new Sellwood Bridge.

On June 7, the Sellwood Bridge Community Advisory Committee met at SMILE Station in Sellwood, where they dined, listened to public testimony, and saw a presentation on several water quality project components – including stormwater treatment from the bridge, and the planned westside interchange with Highway 43.

Next was a presentation and discussion by their featured speaker, Ricardo Rabines of Safdie Rabines Architects of San Diego.

“This firm has won awards for its site-specific bridge designs that relate to their natural and built environments,” revealed Multnomah County spokesperson Michael Pullen.

Using a PowerPoint presentation, Rabines led a discussion of aesthetic criteria that can be used to evaluate different bridge structure types.

Speaking to the committee members, and the 19 onlookers who also attended the meeting, Rabines rhapsodized about the Sellwood Bridge site. “It strikes me how the neighborhood kind of goes under the bridge. There’s really a sense, when you're walking around it – you can feel the columns. The idea on the east bank is that you have the bridge, but you have living rooms and dining rooms and terraces. It’s just like a little port city.”

Creating a successful design, Rabines said, is how a bridge relates to all the different elements. “We need to respond to the traffic, the trains, and the bikes.”

The architect noted that the west side is “much more landscape-oriented. There are areas that form a sequence of events, with the car traffic coming and going. It’s a feeling of going into a park. We have to enhance what we have.”

The upshot, Rabines concluded, is that “it’s how you make this bridge be honorable to both the east and west sides.”

The architect broke down the topic into areas of discussion:

First, respond to site conditions, in terms of scale, landscape, views, arrivals and departures. This takes in considering the Sellwood Bridge’s role in the “collection” as a portal, while retaining historical values.

• Consider the planned new bridge as being unique versus modern.

• Celebrate the river as a goal; celebrate the crossing.

• Consider the look and feel both above and below the bridge.

Second, determine the character of the type of bridge.

• Emphasis on vehicle, emphasis on pedestrian/bicycle.

• Neighborhood bridge; celebrate it as Sellwood’s bridge.

• Neighborhood in hills; and enhance pedestrian activities along Tacoma Street.

• Highway, a connector and service.

• Impact on the landscape and surroundings – minimize impact on the site itself, less disturbing to the environment.

Third, the profile and silhouette of a new Sellwood Bridge.

• Minimize its presence.

• Take advantage of its presence, day and night.