Shake Shack
Portland, Ore.
The Portland Shack Shack blends the interior and the exterior and fits in with the city’s architecture.The Shake Shack in downtown Portland, Ore., was designed to put as much emphasis on the exterior as the interior, in this outdoorsy city.
There’s a covered patio and uncovered seating, emphasizing the connection between indoors and outdoors.
The exterior design ties in elements from the surrounding buildings including black metal storefront windows and door frames, glazed brick and aluminum panels. The green quarry tile on patio planters is a repeated color in Portland architecture, seen in a bridge, concert hall and public benches.
A local redwood trellis also separates the seating, providing a warm texture that contrasts with the black-painted steel columns that support the wood blocks. “The combination of warm hardwood and sleek black steel brings both function and a refined, modern feel to facade,” says Liliana Borchers, senior architectural director, Aria Group, Oak Park, Ill.
Because this restaurant is downtown, Shake Shack wanted to activate the space outside to draw people in. The lounge seating inside, which is unusual for Shake Shack, was included to increase the feeling of a community space.
Inside, soaring curved ceilings feature painted wooden trusses that connect to the vertical elements of the wall, establishing a sense of continuity. This space is very long and it felt like it needed some connection from the bottom to the top,” says Borchers.
The wall features vertical wood slats, lit with LED lights around the edges to showcase their design and cast an even wash of light onto the adjacent walls. Borcher also dropped lights from the ceiling to help make the space more intimate.
Metal panels used throughout the space introduce a refined industrial aesthetic, drawing a direct connection between the interior architecture and Portland’s iconic bridges.
The location stays true to Shake Shack’s color palette, with charcoal grey, warm grey and green. “It’s very peaceful to go into this environment from downtown,” says Borchers. “There’s not a lot of signage and that was the intent.”
The interior environment is distinct from typical fast-casual establishments. High-quality, tactile materials, natural light space and comfortable seating invite guests to relax and linger.
