Columbia Square Lobby Renovation

Hennebery Eddy renovated the lobby of Melvin Mark Properties’ Columbia Square to provide a welcoming entry experience at this signature downtown Portland building. The existing configuration provided a limited seating area and awkward circulation, lacked flexibility, and was disjointed from the architectural language of the building. Our renovation was designed to achieve harmony in context and composition through restraint, elegance, and simplicity.

By raising the typical ceiling height by nearly 12 inches, reducing ambient noise with acoustical ceiling plaster, and balancing interior lighting with natural daylight, the space emphasizes occupant comfort imbued with a relaxed professionalism. The lobby now accommodates diverse occupant needs with flexible furniture in a range of seating types and postures. A restrained material palette introduces warmth and texture and complements the existing building, providing durability, flexibility, and a timeless design. We reused and refinished select existing materials and carefully chose new materials and furnishings that include product sustainability labels.

A museum-quality display case will tell the story of the building and its owner’s legacy, featuring historical images, photographs, objects, and memorabilia. The project includes an ongoing core-and-shell renovation of the ground-floor restaurant space at the southeast corner of the SW Columbia and SW First, designed to activate the building and street corner.