Washington State History Museum Tim Hursley V Entry 1 2

Washington State History Museum

Tacoma, WA

The design for this 106,000 square foot museum is a story of rebirth for a working class town and a testament for building on sensitivities of a community. This museum was the first new building in what has since become a new cultural district in Tacoma.
The Vision

This museum was designed to add to the historic Union Station by creating a symbolic extension of its historical significance to the heart of a city in need of revival.

  • Client

    Washington State Historical Society, State of Washington Dept. of General Administration Division of Engineering and Architectural Services

  • Architect

    Moore / Andersson

  • Construction Manager

    Ken Fuller, P.E.

  • Associate Architect

    Olson/Sundberg Architects

  • Structural Engineer

    Chalker, Putnam, Collins, and Scott (PCS Structural)

  • Mechanical Engineer

    Affiliated Engineers

  • Civil Engineer

    Summit Technology

  • Acoustical Design

    The Greenbush Group

  • Cost Consultant

    Andrew Chartwell and Co.

  • Exhibit Design

    Herb Rosenthal and Associates, West Office Design Associates

  • Landscape Architects

    Nakano Dennis Landscape Architects

  • Lighting Design

    Peters and Meyer

  • Signage Design

    Gere Kavanaugh Design

  • Specifications

    Lottie Eskilsson Architecture

  • Security

    Steven Keller and Associates, Inc.

  • Photographer

    Tim Hursley

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“The museum has been the creator of character and purpose, defining the streetscape, bringing people here for leisure and intellectual time.”

Michael Sullivan, Historical Society Board Member. Powerful Forms for a Hard Working Town, Architectural Record, October 1996

Gift to the City

An outdoor amphitheater was designed at the front of the building to serve as the museum's primary welcome space.

Project Team
  • Charles Moore, FAIA

  • Arthur W. Andersson, FAIA

  • F. Christian Wise, AIA

  • Susan Benz

  • Steve Dvorak

  • Charles Southall

Awards
  • Honor Award - Texas Society of Architects -

    Texas Society of Architects

  • Best of Show (1997 Excellence in Masonry) - Mason Contractors Association of America -

    Mason Contractors Association of America