Pietro Belluschi

Pietro Belluschi was an Italian-born Portland architect.

After his start in the office of A. E. Doyle, Belluschi co-founded (with John Yeon) the "Northwest style" of residential architecture. He designed a large number of buildings in Portland and Salem, including a few landmarks. His 1947 Equitable Building was the first modernist curtain-wall tower of its kind in the entire county, predating the better-known Lever House in New York City.

After moving to head the MIT Department of Architecture in 1951, Belluschi rose to an international reputation as designer, teacher, and consultant, but kept his ties to Portland. He was bluntly critical of Michael Graves' Portland Building. In semi-retirement he returned here to build a handful of inexpensive churches.

Among Belluschi's Portland designs are:

• the original Portland Art Museum building on the South Park Blocks
• the Zion Lutheran Church
• the Chapel at University of Portland