The Pacific Northwest is a hotspot for Mid Century Modern architecture and design. Among the most iconic structures in this part of the world are the Space Needle and Pacific Science Center in Seattle. But there are many lesser-known mid century buildings in Oregon and Washington State that revolutionized architecture and offer a window into the past.
Docomomo International is among the non-profit organizations striving to preserve those structures. Today, we want to introduce you briefly to their Oregon and WEWA chapters and some of the work they have been doing.
Docomomo US/WEWA
Docomomo US/WEWA is the chapter based in Western Washington (that is what “WEWA” is short for). Right now, the WEWA chapter is advocating for several key landmarks in Washington State. Among these are the Faculty Club and Wallace Hall at the University of Washington in Seattle. Docomomo US/WEWA hopes to get both them designated as historical landmarks.
Docomomo US/WEWA also is hard at work trying to save the Joel M. Pritchard Building, also called the Washington State Library. This landmark by Paul Thiry is in the National Register of Historic Places, but may be demolished. In November, members of Docomomo US/WEWA had a chance to see some possible preservation options. The Washington State Department of Enterprise Services’ study to explore those options will run through March of this year. You can read more about what is going on with this building in our in-depth write-up here.
The WEWA chapter of Docomomo is also putting a lot of work into revamping its website, loading in dozens of biographies of architects. When that project is complete, there will be more than 160 biographies on the site, making it an ideal resource for anyone looking to increase their knowledge of MCM architecture.
Docomomo US/Oregon
Another chapter that helps to advocate for Mid Century Modern buildings in the Pacific Northwest is Docomomo US/Oregon. One of the chapter’s focuses at the moment is on the Salem Civic Center, which is now 50 years old. Docomomo US/Oregon hopes to coordinate with the city to celebrate the building’s anniversary. They are also advocating for the brutalist structure’s conservation as modernization efforts take place.
President Kate Kearney says, “Our work at Docomomo_US/Oregon is one that focuses on raising awareness, celebrating, and advocating for our state’s modern era resources. Historic preservation has a lot of lenses and to be part of an organization that focuses on modern to post-modern era resources is rewarding. The future of preservation looks modern.”
At Atomic Ranch, we are grateful to Docomomo US/Oregon and Docomomo US/WEWA for their passion and dedication to preserving the mid century history and architecture of the Pacific Northwest. We also appreciate their enthusiasm and responsiveness in keeping us up-to-date with their latest efforts. Consider dropping by their sites Docomomo US/Oregon and Docomomo US/WEWAto explore their resources. And if you are in the Pacific Northwest, you can drop them a line to see how you can get involved.
If you love Mid Century Modern architecture and design, keep reading to see A 1961 Francis Gassner-Designed Home in Memphis as well as All About Breeze Blocks. And of course don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to check out other Mid Century Modern structures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
