Next Sketch Outing

Saturday, March 30: Colman Ferry Dock

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Nuclear Reactor Building University of Washington

Urban sketchers are sketching buildings that are on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's current and past watch lists of  endangered buildings.  These sketches will be auctioned at a annual WHTP fundraiser coming up in May.  Urban sketchers non profit will also receive a portion of the proceeds from this auction.

I chose to sketch the Nuclear Reactor Building on the UW Campus.  It was built in 1961 by TAAG (The Architects Artist Group)  including Architects Wendell Lovett, Daniel Streissguth, George Zema, Structural Engineer Gerard Torrence, and artist Spencer Moseley.  It was built as a research reactor for the  Nuclear Engineering program at UW.  Instead of hiding the research activity this expressive concrete structure was designed with glass walls wrapping the building allowing observers to watch the experiments taking place within.  It is currently slated to be demolished as a result of the University Master Plan which was adopted in 2004.
Just an aside Wendell Lovett was my first studio professor at the University of Washington.   

2 comments:

  1. Gail,
    Very nice sketch, I always love your rich use of color in the shadows of your watercolors. Lovett was also my first studio professor when I was at UW. I think we should do a display of all the buildings that people have sketched of buildings that are demolished. I have tried to sketch many before they are no longer and would love to see what others have done over the years.

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  2. I definitely agree what a wonderful sketch, I really love it a lot. Thanks.
    structural engineers

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