Foss Waterway Seaport
Tacoma, Washington
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Design Principal
Jim Olson
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Design Collaborator
Alan Maskin
The Foss Waterway Seaport occupies the last remaining section of Balfour Dock—a once nearly mile-long, continuous heavy timber frame warehouse that defined Tacoma’s waterfront for almost a century. Built in 1900, the remaining 350 foot-long portion straddles the shoreline immediately beneath Tacoma’s downtown. Originally designed and built in the bridge-building language of nineteenth century railroad engineering, this remaining portion now supports the largest maritime heritage and education center on the West Coast.
The new 40,000 square foot public facility features indoor program spaces, docks and floats for recreational and educational boating, and public open spaces for events, festivals and casual activities. The improvements make the Seaport the centerpiece of the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation is a new glass-faced north façade, which reveals the 150-foot-long historic trusses. The glazed facade acts as a beacon to passing visitors to connect with the site’s past by revealing the historic architecture and the activities within.
The architectural design concept brings out the intrinsic beauty of the building and the boats it houses. The structure of the building is like a heroic sculpture. Like many of the boats, the building is a real community treasure.Jim Olson, FAIA, Design Principal
Team
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Design Principal
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Design Collaborator
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Staff
Awards
2016
Tacoma Landmarks Preservation Commission Award, Winner, Award for Commercial Renovation
Publications
2020
Gallaher, Rachel. “Jim Olson.” Gray Magazine, Dec. 2020/Jan. 2021. Print.
2013
“Foss Waterway Seaport museum reopens May 11 with new exhibits.” Tacoma Weekly, 6 May 2013. Web.
2012
“Foss Waterway Seaport: Tacoma Waterfront Building.” e-architect, 25 May 2012. Web.
Furuto, Alison. “Foss Waterway Seaport / Olson Kundig Architects.” ArchDaily, 2 June 2012. Web.
“Progress in Tacoma.” World Architecture News, 25 May 2012. Web.
Welton, J. Michael. “In Tacoma, a Museum on the Water.” Architects + Artisans, 4 June 2012. Web.
“Work starts on maritime center.” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 18 June 2012. Web.