A New Addition to Tacoma's Cityscape?

The University of Washington Tacoma may soon have a more visible presence in Tacoma’s cityscape: a proposal for signage on the new Tioga Library building at 19th and Jefferson would install a seven-foot “W” on the fifth floor of the eastern face of the building.

The sign would be a simple purple “W,” 7’2” high by 8’4” wide. According to the “Design Narrative” submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for review at this week’s meeting, the sign is intended as “a way of establishing campus-wide recognition of the UW identity.” The “W” itself will be made out of aluminum, approximately 6” in depth, painted “UWT Purple” (Pantone 273, for the design geeks out there). It will be back lit – what the document refers to as “halo-lit” – floating 4 to 6” off the wall to allow the light to spill out the back and frame the letter at night. The lighting will be low-voltage LED modules, and will be equipped with a small light sensor to turn it on at dusk. The whole project is priced at $30,000.

The new four-story Tioga Library building has been designed to fit in with the surrounding historic brick architecture of the neighborhood. The new library space on the basement and first and second floors of the new building, along with a reconfiguration of the existing UWT library building will allow the library to grow to match the needs of the growing campus. According to the UWT project page, “the top floors of the Tioga building will be completed “upon identification of program needs and additional funding. The two buildings will be connected by a sky bridge. Construction is scheduled to wrap up this summer.

All signs in the Union Depot/Warehouse Historic Special Review District and Union Station Conservation District must go before the Landmarks Preservation Commission for approval. This Wednesday the LPC will look at the University’s proposal in detail.

Overall it sounds like a fairly classy addition to Tacoma’s skyline alongside the historic Heidelberg water tower Tacoma Elf Storage, but maybe we’re biased. What do you think?

Link to the Landmarks Preservation Commission Meeting Agenda package (pdf)

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