Mayer/Reed was one of three finalists who submitted designs for the countdown clock recently installed in Pioneer Courthouse Square as the promotional centerpiece for the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Track & Field Championships, March 17-20, 2016. Our concept combined art, technology and craft as an expression of Portland, the world-class event and celebration.
The digital display used for the countdown clock is vertically oriented in a dramatic waterfall configuration, embedded in an internally-illuminated, translucent conical form, emblematic of Mt. Hood and re-imagined as a veil of watery lightness supported by a javelin shaped wooden mast. Led by Mayer/Reed, the design was a collaboration with Nancy Cheng, associate professor of architecture at the University of Oregon, whose work with digital fabrication processes to generate screens for filtering light inspired the design of the translucent cladding.
OPB’s “Think Out Loud” Discusses Willamette Falls Riverwalk
Governor Announces Willamette Falls Riverwalk Design Team
Governor Kate Brown announced the selection of the Mayer/Reed, Snøhetta, DIALOG team for the design of the Willamette Falls Riverwalk at the former Blue Heron Paper Mill site in Oregon City.
As the prime consultant, Mayer/Reed will collaborate with our international design partners and work with numerous agencies, stakeholders and the public to create an experientially-rich Riverwalk that will enable connectivity and public access to this powerful site for the first time in over a century.
With the Willamette Falls Riverwalk as the first phase of the former mill site’s redevelopment, we are honored to accept this incredible opportunity to shape the future of the site. We are continually inspired by the layers of history and are energized by our team’s rapport and shared vision. We are prepared to reveal this remarkable scenic and cultural treasure that has been buried in plain sight for decades.
A Look at Street Food and Urban Vitality
Carol Mayer-Reed examines Portland’s lively food cart culture and its relationship to urban vitality in “Portland’s Street Food Phenomenon,” published in the May issue of ASLA’s blog, The Dirt. 
“The carts, which also form food cart pods, make a positive, colorful contribution to the city’s sense of livability, promote social interaction, and support small businesses. After all, the presence of people gathering in places attracts more people.”