Brad Cloepfil in his SW Portland office (photo Jeff Jahn)

It was announced today that Brad Cloepfil has won the competition to design the new National Music Center in Calgary Canada. The design is exciting and somewhat reminiscent of Kahn's National Assembly building in Bangladesh (probably one of the 5 greatest buildings ever built)... Cloepfil is a U of O grad who studied and apprenticed under several of Kahn's acolytes. You can read part I and II of our very extensive interview with Cloepfil for more info on his background.


Model of the National Music Center

What's more this announcement shines a light on Portland's own Memorial Coliseum, a building Cloepfil adores but is desperately in need a renovation. Could Cloepfil repurpose the coliseum as a multi purpose arts and event space that would serve Portland like this new National music center will? Cloepfil is one of the few architects I'd trust with such a task.