Category Archives: Washington

St. Anne Church in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood is an intact mid-century complex, of which we’ve covered several others previously. It replaced an older, Victorian-era church that the congregation had outgrown. It was built in 1962 to the designs of John W. … Continue reading →

According to the Olympia Walking Tour Guide, this was built as a Ramada Inn in 1971. This was the first major hotel in downtown Olympia. The architects were Camp, Dresser & McKee, who had regional offices but were based on the … Continue reading →

Back to the West Coast to continue our look at downtown Olympia architecture. According to the Olympia walking tour guide, this bank branch was designed by the architectural firm of Bennett & Johnson, who also designed another bank, a credit union … Continue reading →

This week, we will look at two well-preserved church complexes, one Lutheran and one Catholic, in Seattle. Both were done by locally prominent architects. The first is the Queen Anne Lutheran Church from 1959. It was designed by Robert Durham … Continue reading →

The former Capital Savings & Loan Building at 222 5th Ave E is the pinnacle of mid-century Olympia. Unfortunately, while the building has been repurposed, its current iteration slightly obscures the uniqueness and daring of the original design. The building’s parabolic … Continue reading →

Continuing our look at the mid-century buildings of Olympia. According to the Olympia walking tour guide, this Sears branch was designed by George Ekvall, who was a former employee of the firm who designed the department store in our last entry. … Continue reading →

              Continuing our look at the Mid-Century Mundane of the Pacific Northwest and specifically the buildings featured in the Olympia Modernism self-guided walking tour brochure. While we don’t have much to add beyond what the … Continue reading →

Unlike the design of our last entry, which lacked a relationship to existing neighboring buildings, the Suzzallo Library addition is a strong response to its historic parent. While unmistakably modern, this addition from 1961-63 uses Gothic elements to harmonize with the grand … Continue reading →

Of all the buildings on the University of Washington campus this is probably the most Miesian. That honor may have gone to the neighboring Balmer Hall, but it was demolished in 2010. Both buildings were designed by Decker & Christenson and Paul Hayden … Continue reading →