The Oregon Historical Society will be opening a new exhibit on Oregon Architect Pietro Belluschi which will run June 18- August 27 at the Oregon History Museum. For more information on the exhibit click here.
Pietro Belluschi designed many prominent buildings in the Salem area, including the old YWCA addition (now owned by Willamette University), the Comm. Center at the Oregon State Hospital (pictured below), Baxter Hall at Willamette University and the Marion County Courthouse, just to name a few. The newest edition of the Oregon Historical Quarterly (Summer 2012) has an article by Belluschi’s son Anthony reflecting on his father’s work.
There are also at least two vacant buildings in Salem designed by Belluschi. The marble clad bank on the southeast corner of Liberty and Chemeketa and the brick office building (formerly a medical clinic, I think) on the southeast corner of 13th and Center. A now-stalled development downtown obtained permission to demolish the bank building. I’m not sure that the buildings are “first rate” or “high style” Belluschi, and as such they may not require all-out efforts at preservation. At the same time reuse is almost always more economical and greener than demolition and new construction, and it would be so very nice if tenants and uses for these could be found. Perhaps the Portland show will give new visibility to these buildings.