Reinvent yourself

Built in 1891 by Multnomah County to allow the Oregon National Guard a place to practice riot prevention for anti-Chinese sentiment, the Armory was designed in Romanesque Revival Style including massive stone cladding and semi-circular arcades using many Northwest quarry materials. The Armory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. During the Gerding Edlen development in the Pearl District around the Weinhard “brewery blocks” the dilapidated building was renovated as the home of Portland Center Stage.  Shortly after opening, the building was certified by the US Green Building Council as exceeding the requirements for designation as LEED Platinum, an ideal significant-to-sensational transformation in a city that loves the flight of the Phoenix.