Big Pink

The U.S. Bancorp Tower, affectionately known as Big Pink, viewed from the parking lot of St. Mary's Cathedral in Nob Hill.

I'm so fond of Big Pink, a landmark visible from many parts of Portland. It's plain, yet not. Note the stair-step pattern on the left side. Its color changes with the light, and it sometimes reflects clouds and sky.

I used to work in the Seagram Building, Mies van der Rohe's revolutionary tower in midtown Manhattan. I think Big Pink comes from a similar mindset.