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When Justin Phelps started his engineering career in San Francisco, he dreamed of one day converting a church into his own recording studio.
Instead, he had to settle for a library.
Two years ago, Phelps and his business partner, musician Greg Allen, began leasing the century-old Arleta Library in the Foster-Powell neighborhood. Like Revolution Hall, the stately brick building—which also served as a juvenile detention center during its lifetime—had been sitting unused for years. They made the necessary renovations, brought in top-of-the-line equipment, and rechristened it Hallowed Halls.
And as it turns out, if you're looking to capture an act of loudness, a fortress of quietude is the way to go.
This building is made of brick. A truck can go by, and if you're right by the window, you can maybe hear a rumble, but nothing that would interrupt a recording session.
Appropriate for a city where everyone is in a band, Portland has many recording studios, but Hallowed Halls is perhaps the most unique.
With its high ceilings, chandeliers and 1,600-square-foot main hall, the atmosphere is a break from the typically plasticine studio environment. Not surprisingly, since opening in 2015, Hallowed Halls has been booked solid, recording everyone from Americana act Fruition to hardcore icons Poison Idea.
As more people move to the neighborhood, Allen and Phelps envision Hallowed Halls becoming more of a community space. To that end, there's a small rehearsal room in the basement reserved for music lessons, and an adjacent shop selling instruments and records. Outside, a platform has been set up specifically for busking.
And true to most Portland repurposing jobs, the vibe is being kept distinctly retro. Several old synths line shelves, and a gauzy photo of a woman in a wedding dress hangs over the entrance. One might guess it's Lea Wikman, an advocate for the poor who was once the building's namesake. In truth, it's Allen's mom. She died when he was 2 years old, but left him with a hefty trust fund, which he used to help set up the studio.
"I think of this whole space, and all the creativity that flows through here, as her legacy," he says.
Welcome to Reasons to Love Portland 2017
1. Portland Is Telling Donald Trump That He Won't Get Away With This
2. We're Rich! Portland Has The Nation's Fastest Growing GDP
3. Here's How Far Portlanders Have Ridden in the First Six Months of BikeTown
4. We're Very Happy That Portland Bartenders Can Finally Drink on The Job.
5. When the Snow Hit, Portlanders Saved Lives By Volunteering at Homeless Shelters
6. At Long Last, Portland Has The Kinky Coffee Shop It's Needed
7. A Selected List of All Portland's Recent Number 1 Rankings
8. Move Over PCT: You'll Soon Be Able to Mountain Bike From Washington to California
9. Oregon Has The Nation's Cheapest Weed. Thank God.
10. This is the Best Ski Season Mount Hood Has Had Since Obama Was a Senator
11. Nobody Snowdays Harder Than Portland
12. Portland Finally Has Architecture Worth Arguing About
13. Check Out This Crazy New Recording Studio in a Former Library in Deep Southeast
14. Weed Delivery Will Begin in Portland Any Day Now
15. In Portland, You Never, Ever Need To Call Domino's
16. Portland Is Home to the Most Liberal College in America. No, Not That One.
17. There's A Forgotten Wonder In Oregon City. It'll Soon Be Revealed
18. Portland's Blazers Bootleg T-Shirts Are Lit
19. Portland is Metal AF
20. ILOVEMAKONNEN Moved To Portland. No, For Real
21. Sorry, Donald, We Won't Help You Deport Our Neighbors.
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23. Oregon is the New Truffle King of the World
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25. In Portland, You Can See Every Movie Nominated For an Oscar in the Theater
26. Portland Art Museum is Tapping into the Legacy of Arguably Oregon's Greatest Artist
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