At request of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Peter Meijer Architect (PMA), provided an exterior condition and limited interior assessment of the OHSU Auditorium Building. The condition assessment included the exterior facade of the Auditorium Building and interior spaces. PMA conducted a review of OHSU’s original design documents, structural engineering drawings, historic photos, and various documents related to PMA’s exterior assessment. These documents were used to aid in the on-site assessment.
PMA has recommended repairs for these items associated with three priority levels. Level 1 Priority Repairs should be completed in order to prevent further damage to the building. Many of these repairs are necessary to solve water intrusion problems in the Auditorium Building. Level 2 Priority Repairs are repairs to damaged areas within the build. Many of these would repair and maintain building materials in order to extend the lifespan of the materials. Level 3 Priority Repairs are associated with rehabilitation of the space to create greater historic integrity.
The Auditorium Building was designed by the architect Ellis F. Lawrence and constructed in 1939. The University had hired Lawrence to design other buildings on the campus with the vision of creating an “acropolis of healing” on top of Marquam Hill. The adjacent Mackenzie Hall was constructed in 1921 and, between 1924 and 1939, the campus grew to include the Veteran’s Bureau Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, and the University State Tuberculosis Hospital. The Auditorium Building was connected to the adjacent Mackenzie Hall by an enclosed connecting corridor that has since been demolished. The original building had three levels with entry lobbies at the north and south ends of the east facade. Over the years, several additions and changes have been made to the Auditorium.