Erickson, Predock, Koolhaas, Holl, Gwathmey Siegel, Gehry, Moore Rubel & Yudell and a lot of Chihuly in Tacoma and Seattle...

My first stop was Tacoma to visit the recently inaugurated Museum of Glass, Canadian architect Arthur Erickson's first art museum in the US, and the construction site of the new Tacoma Art Museum by Antoine Predock.

Photo: arcspace

If you arrive via the Dale Chihuly Bridge, a 500 foot long glass and steel pedestrian overpass that links the Thea Foss Waterway and the Museum with downtown Tacoma, you descend a grand spiral stair to the main level “Hot Shop” contained in a 90 foot tall tilted stainless steel cone. The Cone shape was inspired by the early wood- and coal-burning structures of the Northwest.

Photo: arcspace
Looking up through the cone.

Photo: arcspace

In the amphitheater at the base of the cone visitors can learn about glassmaking. Full feature about the museum and an Image Library zip folder coming in September.

Photo: arcspace

Crossing the bridge again you pass the Washington State History Museum designed, by Moore, Rubel & Yudell, to blend with the architecture of the old domed Union Station building.

Antoine Predock’s design for the new Tacoma Art Museum will have sweeping views of the city and Mount Rainier through glass walls in the main entry and on the top floor.

Photo: arcspace

The galleries will be enclosed with only the floor in the 31 foot tall main gallery receiving natural light through narrow opaque glass windows at the bottom of its walls.

Photo: arcspace

The galleries are reached via a wide ramp-like staircase around an enclosed outdoor moss garden that, encased in semi-reflective glass, gives visitors a unique experience of space.

Sketch by Predock for Courtenay Chamberlin
Marketing and PR Manager TAM

Back in Seattle the construction team told me the best view of the Seattle Public Library site was from the rooftop of a nearby parking structure.

Photo: arcspace

However, there was not much to see of the angular design of the 355,000 square foot building by Rem Koolhaas that, when completed in 2003, will be partly glass, revealing criss-crossing structural trusses, and partly copper sheathing.

Photo courtesy Seattle Public Library

When in Seattle I always visit the Henry Art Gallery with the Gwathmey Siegel stainless steel, concrete and stone, addition to the original 1926 Carl F. Gould building structure.

Photo: arcspace

And also the Frank Gehry designed EMP. Took a sunset Monorail ride through the building.

Photo: arcspace

Last stop was Steven Holl’s Bellevue Art Museum..... Great details. You can look forward to another addition to the arcspace Image Library.

Photo: Chris Burden

If you happen to be in the area the exhibition “Trespassing” (Houses x Artists) will open on August 31st.

Photo: Chris Burden
Chris Burden “Small Skyscraper”
Quasi Legal Los Angeles County

The exhibition features nine contemporary artists’ designs for houses under optional creative conditions. More about the exhibition after the opening.

Finally a little Seattle history about the first Bill Gates....
Seattle, first settled in the mid -1800s, became an important point of departure for miners heading to and from the Klondike gold fields. One successful miner, Swiftwater Bill Gates, did so well in Alaska that he returned to Seattle and became legendary for showering gold nuggets from the window of his hotel room onto pedestrians below.

Back with news from LA next week...

Kirsten Kiser
Editor-in-Chief

P.S. For all you sports fans there is also the new Washington State Football/Soccer Stadium; the home for Paul Allen's Seattle Seahawks.

Photo: Chris Burden

P.P.S. The Ace Hotel in downtown Seattle, a grown-up "Youth Hotel", serves as the ultimate lodgings for hip urbanites on a mission for experience.
The Ace's 34 rooms feature loft-like ceilings, hardwood floors, and a single sink & vanity in each.
Rates start at US$ 65.00 with the smallish rooms sharing shower/bathrooms.

And since we are talking traveling I have a request from Julie Rouault, one of the 100 winners of the treehouse competition, who wants to know if someone went to the Hainan Island in China and.... Was it nice? rouaultjulie@hotmail.com

kk traveling
On the Road....again

August 19, 2002





		kk Letter		Features
		Erickson, Predock, Koolhaas, Holl, Gwathmey Siegel, Gehry, Moore Rubel & Yudell and a lot of Chihuly in Tacoma and Seattle... My first stop was Tacoma to visit the recently inaugurated Museum of Glass, Canadian architect Arthur Erickson's first art museum in the US, and the construction site of the new Tacoma Art Museum by Antoine Predock. Photo: arcspace If you arrive via the Dale Chihuly Bridge, a 500 foot long glass and steel pedestrian overpass that links the Thea Foss Waterway and the Museum with downtown Tacoma, you descend a grand spiral stair to the main level “Hot Shop” contained in a 90 foot tall tilted stainless steel cone. The Cone shape was inspired by the early wood- and coal-burning structures of the Northwest. Photo: arcspace Looking up through the cone. Photo: arcspace In the amphitheater at the base of the cone visitors can learn about glassmaking. Full feature about the museum and an Image Library zip folder coming in September. Photo: arcspace Crossing the bridge again you pass the Washington State History Museum designed, by Moore, Rubel & Yudell, to blend with the architecture of the old domed Union Station building. Antoine Predock’s design for the new Tacoma Art Museum will have sweeping views of the city and Mount Rainier through glass walls in the main entry and on the top floor. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The galleries will be enclosed with only the floor in the 31 foot tall main gallery receiving natural light through narrow opaque glass windows at the bottom of its walls. Photo: arcspace The galleries are reached via a wide ramp-like staircase around an enclosed outdoor moss garden that, encased in semi-reflective glass, gives visitors a unique experience of space. Sketch by Predock for Courtenay Chamberlin Marketing and PR Manager TAM Back in Seattle the construction team told me the best view of the Seattle Public Library site was from the rooftop of a nearby parking structure. Photo: arcspace However, there was not much to see of the angular design of the 355,000 square foot building by Rem Koolhaas that, when completed in 2003, will be partly glass, revealing criss-crossing structural trusses, and partly copper sheathing. Photo courtesy Seattle Public Library When in Seattle I always visit the Henry Art Gallery with the Gwathmey Siegel stainless steel, concrete and stone, addition to the original 1926 Carl F. Gould building structure. Photo: arcspace And also the Frank Gehry designed EMP. Took a sunset Monorail ride through the building. Photo: arcspace Last stop was Steven Holl’s Bellevue Art Museum..... Great details. You can look forward to another addition to the arcspace Image Library. Photo: Chris Burden If you happen to be in the area the exhibition “Trespassing” (Houses x Artists) will open on August 31st. Photo: Chris Burden Chris Burden “Small Skyscraper” Quasi Legal Los Angeles County The exhibition features nine contemporary artists’ designs for houses under optional creative conditions. More about the exhibition after the opening. Finally a little Seattle history about the first Bill Gates.... Seattle, first settled in the mid -1800s, became an important point of departure for miners heading to and from the Klondike gold fields. One successful miner, Swiftwater Bill Gates, did so well in Alaska that he returned to Seattle and became legendary for showering gold nuggets from the window of his hotel room onto pedestrians below. Back with news from LA next week... Kirsten Kiser Editor-in-Chief P.S. For all you sports fans there is also the new Washington State Football/Soccer Stadium; the home for Paul Allen's Seattle Seahawks. Photo: Chris Burden P.P.S. The Ace Hotel in downtown Seattle, a grown-up "Youth Hotel", serves as the ultimate lodgings for hip urbanites on a mission for experience. The Ace's 34 rooms feature loft-like ceilings, hardwood floors, and a single sink & vanity in each. Rates start at US$ 65.00 with the smallish rooms sharing shower/bathrooms. And since we are talking traveling I have a request from Julie Rouault, one of the 100 winners of the treehouse competition, who wants to know if someone went to the Hainan Island in China and.... Was it nice? rouaultjulie@hotmail.com kk traveling On the Road....again August 19, 2002