Situated at the corner of North Williams Avenue and Shaver Street, Parallax is a five-story mixed-use development, including 66 market-rate apartments over premium retail space fronting the thriving Williams Corridor. The opportunity: elevate a common Portland multi-family archetype, the 4/5 over 1, while simultaneously respecting the history of the site.
The base consists of glazed aluminum storefront that engages the Shaver and Williams frontages at the public street level. A glass, steel and metal canopy serves to shelter the sidewalk and simultaneously strikes a datum at the building’s transition from glass public base to a dynamically designed upper facade.
The upper facade at the apartment units uses brick masonry veneer, a historically relevant material re-imagined in modern form. The large, staggered windows at residences allude to their more private program and appear as punched openings despite being floor-to-ceiling. Additionally, the staggered windows at each floor lend the elevation a dynamic movement, with metal panels angled and oriented in opposing directions. The panels together read as a gradient color change from different perspectives. In effect, the building reads differently driving down Williams versus walking the opposite direction. This parallax reinforces both the building’s and the neighborhood’s dynamism.
The roof terrace on the top floor of the southeast corner begins to break down the building’s mass and scale, negotiating a transition to its residential neighbors. At the same time, the terrace commands spectacular views of Mt. Hood, while the large west-facing windows capture views of downtown Portland and the West Hills. New murals by renowned Portland artist Tom Cramer adorn both the south exterior facade and the interior of the lobby; these pay homage to The Machine, Cramer's iconic mural on the exterior of the warehouse previously occupying the site. Parallax seeks to elevate the streetscape along North Williams while capturing the energy and vitality of a growing neighborhood.
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