“The Calm Before the Storm”
Yesterday, we returned to the Architectural Heritage Center in Portland, Oregon. The AHC had just unearthed a set of slides from the architecture firm Martin, Soderstrom and Matteson (now Soderstrom Architects), originally co-founded by Will Martin, the architect who designed the Organ Grinder building.
The slides feature the Organ Grinder building in 1973 around the time of its grand opening, as well as a bit later in 1974. The photo above is from 1974, taken in the morning before the restaurant’s normal operating hours. The photographer captured a remarkable feeling of stillness, with no traffic on 82nd Ave., and no cars in the parking lot. Things will become a lot busier, and a lot louder – both outside and inside the building – very shortly.
Thanks to the Architectural Heritage Center for making this new find available for the documentary project.
