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March 24, 2008 · Derek

Danish Architect to Visit Tacoma

Everyone’s favorite plaza, Tollefson, is going to get a little more reviewing, this time from a Danish architect named Lars Gemzoe.

Gemzoe lectures on urban design at the Center for Public Space Research at Copenhagen’s School of Architecture. Councilmember Jake Fey and City Manager Eric Anderson met him last year in Europe.

The City will be bringing him in next month to come to a Study Session and meet with the Tollefson Plaza and Century Park Design Group. He’ll be looking to see how Tollefson Plaza could become a more inviting place.

Maybe the international flair will spark some interest in our “special square”.

Link to the Political Buzz

15 comments

  • Erik B. March 24, 2008

    The City will be bringing him in next month to come to a Study Session and meet with the Tollefson Plaza and Century Park Design Group. He’ll be looking to see how Tollefson Plaza could become a more inviting place.

    Nice idea.

    Too bad he was not hired before the plaza was designed.

    Perhaps he will recommend removing the northern piece of the cement stairs so that the plaza can connect with the commercial space at the Marriot.

  • Jake March 24, 2008

    Yeah remove the stairs near the retail space and then add a wall of water there. Don’t want to have any big blank walls.

    Also parking in front of the plaza might help but I know that would make traffic worse than it already is.

  • Nick March 24, 2008

    It’s too bad the LINK stops weren’t spaced out so that one would be adjacent to the plaza. Crowds attract crowds, and having people walking through it to use the LINK would help make it appear more inviting (instead of barren).

    I’m sure with some proper adjustments, it can stand on its own merits though. We’ll have to see what happens…

  • kbce March 24, 2008

    Maybe Tollefson should just be a tabula rasa that gets reinterpreted by a new designer/architect/planner every five years or so… it appears we have a similar plan in action for repaving Pac. Ave.?

  • Chris Karnes March 25, 2008

    @kbce

    I’m inclined to agree. There was a charette that dealt with this a year or so ago and very little actually changed. They added some shrubbery and scheduled some events in the plaza.

    What some people do not understand is that plazas are only as active as their surrounding uses. The parking garage on the western side is dull and renders no activity towards the plaza. The lack of street trees or on-street parking on Pacific renders the eastern side completely unprotected from the noise.

  • Dan March 25, 2008

    I am glad that Mr. Gemzoe is visiting, but honestly do we need to bring someone on a 10 hour airplane flight to enhance that space? It seems like the needs are more fundamental than that and could be addressed locally (ie – vegetation, something interesting to look at, a suitable place to enjoy a sandwich on your lunch break, a reason to visit, etc.) As stated above, the only reason to pass through the plaza is to go from the UWT area up to the Broadway/Pacific area. There is no compelling reason to go to the plaza on most days. Even Firemans Park is underutilized and that is about as scenic a spot as there is in town. But why would someone walk over there given that lack of “energy” in that area?

  • Mofo from the Hood March 25, 2008

    Here’s how you get crowds of people down to Tollefson Plaza. It’s so simple and everybody just loves these things. Always, I mean always, people of every age, size, ethnicity and what have you just cannot get enough of this ultra wack F-U-N. It is total smiles, chuckles, laughs, giggles, guffaws, hee-haws, pointing and coughing, breathless astonishment…
    This is it—-Wavy FunHouse Mirrors.

  • jdub March 25, 2008

    I like David Boe’s idea. Home for the farmer’s market? It’s intersected by the light rail, removed from the museum by Pacific and thus rendered almost hopeless in its current design. At least with it being a home for a farmer’s market (can it be done on a daily basis?) visitors would see some life nearby. As it is, it’s not much.

  • CA March 25, 2008

    As has been previously mentioned, that huge wall separating the plaza from retail in the Mariot is a huge impediment. I bet this is one of the reason why that spot is STILL vacant(yes I know the Naccaratos wanted to put in another restaurant there). However, this prime location should have been gobbled up long ago. There is nothing in the middle of the plaza, like a statue, to bring people in, and it’s effectively walled off from all the surrounding retail and buildings by that damn wall, the steps, the rail line, and Pacific Ave.

  • Phil March 26, 2008

    Good example of a municipality being over-sold on a project. Too bad.

  • Crenshaw Sepulveda March 26, 2008

    I’m not sure why we would want to kill off the Farmer’s Market by moving it to Tollefson Plaza. The Farmer’s market works right now because there are quite a few people in the vicinity of the market and there is a fighting chance of finding some parking on farmer’s market days. Not a great chance, but a chance. Toffefson Plaza would further separate the market from the customers and make it unlikely they’d find any parking if they are driving to the market. Aren’t there some Native American remains or something under Tollefson Plaza that actually keeps developers from building on the property?

  • Tina March 26, 2008

    Will this Danish architect be speaking publically? It would be great to hear what he has to say – Tollefson Plaza or otherwise. Please post if he does. Thanks!

  • RR Anderson March 26, 2008

    What’s that saying? Professionals designed the Titanic, Amateurs designed the canoe?

    How about we let the people of tacoma figure out what we need to do with the god damned Tollefson Plaza. Denmark? WTF!??

  • altered chords March 26, 2008

    If a business were about to spend $15,000 on a project they would want to know the Return on Investment and the Payback period.

    Gemzoe seems to be at the top of his profession and I’d prefer to see a great space than a space I didn’t even know existed until I started reading about it.

    That being said, it seems useful to step back and ask the question: “Will his solution generate $15,000 in tax revenue for the city?” If so, over what period of time. How long will it take the city to recoup its investment.

    Maybe the solution will be fantastic and really will bring traffic and revenue.

    Jake Fey and Eric Anderson have surely considered these factors before spending this money.

    I see so much momentum in this city now. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of this.

    At least I know where Tollefson plaza is now.

    Not that there’s any reason for me to go there.

    Bill Barnett

  • Erik B. March 27, 2008

    Will this Danish architect be speaking publicaly? It would be great to hear what he has to say – Tollefson Plaza or otherwise. Please post if he does. Thanks!

    Perhaps we need a panel discussion.

    I think the fact that they are trying to bring someone it. At least more people are realizing that Tollefson Plaza has been a failure to date and are trying to look at something to fix it.