Located in the renowned Pearl District, The Cosmopolitan is the tallest residential building in Portland and is the city’s premier address. The development firm Hoyt asked us to design this building on a remarkable site between 2 city parks.

Our task was to make the Cosmopolitan stand out from other residential buildings in Portland. To that end, Hoyt wanted a 28 story “point-tower” with a small footprint on a podium base. Parking was to be above grade as soil conditions made underground parking infeasible.

Bora’s design team envisioned this project as a singular form rather than the typical tall building comprised of a tower clearly sitting atop a podium. The tower and base are clad entirely in high-performance reflective glazing to create one cohesive mass. Exterior spaces such as decks, building entries, and ground-level covered areas are “carved” into the glass façade and dressed in a contrasting cement panel that recalls the nearby park boardwalk. Performing as weather—protected outdoor rooms, these inset decks create strong vertical clefts accentuating the height of the slender tower.

The four-story podium conceals the above-grade parking with residential and retail units. A private roof garden is carved into the top of the podium and provides views to and from the parks below. A community room, guest suites, and fitness room spill out onto the centrally located garden.

Given the prominent location, our design affords views of the Willamette River, the Cascade Mountains, and downtown Portland, where the iconic tower celebrates its site and marks the North end of the city.