Imagine Tacoma – My Favorites (so far)
With a recent call to discuss buildings, urban spaces and vistas in Downtown Tacoma that are a positive contribution to the City, here are a few for consideration:
Something Old
Old City Hall: Exceptional Building. If only it was not 95% vacant and had a clock and chime that worked (I miss the bells – even when they were 5 minutes late). And in the early morning sunlight – FANTASTIC.
Something New
Interior of TAM: This is really an exceptional design for a challenging site. While there may be issues with the coldness of the exterior (especially when combined with the barren plaza across Pacific Avenue), the warmth and spaciousness of the interior is a most welcome respite. Add in the framed views back to the City, and it really ties into the soul of Tacoma. With just a little more exterior TLC – see Prairie TAM Companion – this is a building that could be banging on all cylinders.
Something Borrowed
View down Court A (between 11th and 12th – looking South): Every time I walk down this alley, I am transported to another City. Where am I? Is it Toronto? Is this Brussels? Is it Totem Court Road in London? (and this past week’s film crew only adding to the illusion). The combination of the historic Post Office (whose alley façade I believe is the superior elevation), the collection of 19th c. buildings along Pacific Avenue, and the end vista of a classic SOM Building of the 1970’s. Takes me away every time – just wish the alley was narrower.
Something Blue
Juxtaposition of Mount Rainier: Doesn’t matter what the building or structure is, when Mount Rainier is in the frame, it makes the view all the better – even the grain elevator on Schuster Parkway.
Filed under: Imagine Tacoma
19 comments
T tom waits October 23, 2008
I agree with the comments regarding the TAM interior. I especially appreciate the view framed to the south from the education room looking on the dome of Union Station and Pacific Avenue. It is one of the best urban views of historic downtown, and is a clear acknowledgement by the designer of the importance of Tacoma’s historic character. The really poor component of the design on the interior is the administrative space – yuck!
The one other item I find frustrating is that there are really few pedestrian connections between the west and east (parking garage) levels. Getting east-west in downtown Tacoma is a chronic problem in part due to the superblock and topography, and so the TAM issue here is not atypical.
C cecil October 23, 2008
The Old City Hall bldg is hardly a pleasant environment in which to work. There is one organization still renting, it’s the AIDS Foundation. Its unsafe and creepy, (the building, not the Foundation) Three vacant floors above, in various states of remodel and decay.
A walk through the old jail protion of the basement will raise the hairs on your neck, lights on or off!
Apparently the Foundation has a water tight lease and can’t vacate without legal trouble, it’s too bad. In my opinion, the bldg needs a few million to renovate, or bring the sucker down!
R RR Anderson October 23, 2008
you cant tear down the old city hall! you’re smoking crack!
the post office is one of my serious favorite buildings. I’ll be sad when it is not a post office anymore. In fact I will feel downright bitter. maybe start to cling to things… like gum and religions.
dont take away my favorite post office. dont do it.
M Mofo from the Hood October 23, 2008
About 30 years ago some bright spark had the idea to convert Old City Hall into Old City Mall. That time period also included a mall conversion of the corner building across the alley from the Rialto Theatre. And also notable from that cultural peak of Tacoma was the promenade par excellence “Broadway Plaza.” (Oh, to be young again in Tacoma’s golden era..”)
Anyway, that photo of Old City Hall is quite striking, and the view in person is equally striking. But please, anybody, don’t ask me to explain why such a unique, dominant feature of the cityscape is vacant. Ask me why the Luzon is vacant. But please, do not ask me why Old City Hall is vacant.
R RR Anderson October 24, 2008
are there no kindly hunchbacks in tacoma to occupy and maintain that clocktower?
you suck old city hall developers!
R RR Anderson October 24, 2008
also I believe thorax o’tool owes us all a recount of his favorite buildings with photo documented accompaniment
R RR Anderson October 24, 2008
@Tacoma Art Museum
the design of the Tacoma Art Museum reminds me of those apples you get at Halloween where some sick bastard shoves a razor blade into the center… only with the Tacoma Art Museum the Razor blade is the outside and the apple part is on the inside.
The result is still a pretty sick joke.
J Jesse October 24, 2008
Being an outsider and only living here a few years, the fact that Tacoma has all these treasures like the Elks, City Hall, the post office, the most beautiful churches on the west coast, etc (I could go on) and just lets them sit around being run down or vacant has always made me curious. Do you natives not know what you have to work with here? Has it all beeen taken for granted? Where’s the team of folks saving these places? Where’s THAT gentrificaton? Don’t wait until it’s too late. They’re wonderful!
Let’s imagine for a minute that Tacoma never bulldozed or neglected some of these items. What a town! I mean, all the old buildings that would still be here, all the nice neighborhoods in great condition, a trolly system, stores, venues. I mean, this would be one helluva attraction. It’s not too late for some places and parts of town.
Tacoma has “good bones” but noone seems to keep thier properties up to snuff. That includes the city with it’s streets and urban projects. Tacomas biggest problem is MAINTENANCE.
D Douglas Tooley October 24, 2008
If I might add one more to the list – the Tacoma Dome.
Sure, it’s more ‘Joe the Plumber’ than high brow art, but the two aren’t completely exclusive, and, FWIW the T-Dome brings a heck of a lot more people to town.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the ‘setting’ for this jewel – some will perceive it as blighted – a negative feedback loop to which Tacoma is quite vulnerable.
Me thinks though that this is a solvable problem, and perhaps every bit as important as UW-T and Urban Waters to the future of Tacoma.
T Thorax O'Tool October 24, 2008
“also I believe thorax o’tool owes us all a recount of his favorite buildings with photo documented accompaniment“
Ask and ye shall receive… after work.
I’ll add my thoughts tomorrow after I get home.
R RR Anderson October 25, 2008
Mr. Thorax O’Tool thanks for the posts. I have a new appreciation for these buildings.
More more!
T Thorax O'Tool October 25, 2008
More tomorrow… it’s off to be now so I can show up to work on time.
And in the meantime, enjoy this little sneak peak… it features 2 buildings I’ll highlight tomorrow.
T Thorax O'Tool October 27, 2008
It’s late, so off to bed for now.
I got just a couple more to add tomorrow.
M michael buchanan October 27, 2008
Thorax,
I applaud your choices and thanks for the great pictures. The Wells Fargo Building is the twin of the former Brunswick Building in Chicago also by SOM, they were my client in SF when I worked for that late great accounting firm, Arthur Andersen. Andersen’s headquarters was in the Brunswick Bldg. It is a bit taller as I remember, perhaps 30-35 floors.
J joel October 27, 2008
I’m glad the wells was on the list. It looks like God’s cheese grater, in the first shot you can picture Him sliding his giant hand under the bottom and pulling out 5 cubic yards of cheddar.
T Twofivethreezy October 27, 2008
I’m actually a fan of the Wells Fargo building as well. It’s nothing glamalicious in terms of ornate finishings, but ever since I was kid I’d see that building from I-5 and knew I was in Tacoma. It’s pretty easy on the eyes.
T Torax O'Tool October 27, 2008
Odd… I posted about Russell as well.
Did I trip some filter for posting too quickly?
M Mofo from the Hood October 27, 2008
“Heavenly Father, please use your Wells Fargo grater to whip me up some super-size hashbrowns.” “Amen.”
T Thorax O'tool October 27, 2008
A reading from the Book of Amocat, chapter 19, verse 70:
And thus the Lord doth taketh His Wells Fargo Grater into his hand. Taking from the bounty of the Earth, the Lord grateth the Holy Potatoes of Pasco and the Peoples rejoiced as shreds of potato covereth the Earth like Manna. The hungry are thus fed by the Lord, and all of the People have enough starch in their diets.