Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse

The federal government originally planned to increase courtroom space in Portland by building a 13-story annex adjacent to the Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse.^[3] In 1992, the government shifted to the construction of a new building across the street from the Multnomah County Justice Center, where federal prisoners are held for trial.^[3] The General Services Administration chose what was then known as the Hamilton Hotel block between Second and Third avenues and Salmon and Main streets for the courthouse.^[3]


With 16 stories, the courthouse rises to a height of 318 feet (97 m), making it the tenth-tallest building in Portland. The design is a collaboration between the architecture firms Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates of New York and Bora Architects previously named Broome, Oringdulph, O'Toole, Rudolph & Associates of Portland, Oregon. It was completed in 1997 at a cost of $129 million, making it the fifth most-expensive courthouse of its size constructed in the 1990s. The building contains approximately 563,000 square feet (52,300 m²). Upon completion the District Court moved from the Solomon Courthouse that was built in 1933.^[4]


The building's architecture is distinctive and contemporary, especially when compared with Portland's older, primarily rectilinear towers. The distinctive cantilevered roof shelters a small green planting area which is visible to traffic approaching on Washington Street. Designed with energy efficiency in mind, the building exceeded Oregon's Energy Code by 29 percent when it was built.