The ASUW Shell Home in Seattle is the birthplace of the 1936 Olympic gold-medal crew crew, the final surviving World Battle I naval seaplane hangar within the nation and the one one to change into a collegiate rowing sanctuary and Olympic coaching middle. Architecturally, the Shell Home is a novel Pacific Northwest landmark.
Right now, that legacy is at risk.
Why? The College of Washington has proposed defacing alterations that are actually beneath evaluate by the Seattle Landmarks Board. If this plan proceeds with out substantial modifications, Seattle will lose what makes this constructing nationally important — its authentic architectural kind, residing historical past and historic relationship to the lake.
Inbuilt 1918 for the U.S. Navy and repurposed for UW scholar use as a boathouse in 1919, the Shell Home has stood for over a century as an emblem of service, ingenuity and excellence. From its days housing early naval plane to its transformation right into a rowing shell home, it’s steeped in American historical past. That is the place George Pocock crafted racing shells in his upstairs workshop, and the famed “Boys within the Boat” launched into the Montlake Lower from the big, water-facing hangar doorways.
The College of Washington’s proposed alterations to key exterior options of the historic construction, particularly the UW’s intention to take away the 2 large hangar doorways within the middle and exchange them with a everlasting glass and metallic wall, would destroy the architectural integrity of the 107-year-old construction.
Sadly, the UW’s acknowledged objective for the UW Shell Home rehabilitation undertaking, which is to “Protect the distinctive options of the construction together with the outside presence, uncovered wooden timbers, spectacular hangar doorways, and grand scale,” just isn’t being met in a traditionally correct and sincere method.
The Shell Home is a delegated Seattle landmark and was acknowledged in its nomination beneath all six designating standards. The UW’s failure to undertake a rigorous and unbiased analysis of the historic character of defining parts as a possible Nationwide Historic Landmark, sadly, may disqualify it for such excessive standing without end.
Historic preservation goals to take care of a constructing’s authentic character and integrity. The widespread adage, “higher to take care of than restore, higher to restore than exchange,” emphasizes the significance of proactive measures in preservation rehabilitation to first forestall injury, make repairs to revive performance the place possible and eventually, the place constructing options similar to home windows and handcrafted doorways have been severely broken because of age, climate and deterioration, the duty is to make in-kind substitute of these options.
The Seattle Landmarks Board, accountable for defending the town’s native historic landmarks, will determine quickly on the UW’s proposed modern modifications to the historic constructing. The board should not permit Seattle’s world-famous ASUW Shell Home to fall sufferer to a different act of preservation desecration.
The Shell Home is the location the place early Indigenous cultural presence and scholar athletes intersect, every contributing to its historic character. It’s our nationwide treasure. Its future use is determined by honoring its previous.
We concur that the Shell Home have to be up to date to fulfill present constructing codes, accessibility and weatherization requirements. Nevertheless, what’s most wanted is meticulous rehabilitation slightly than reinvention. With considerate restoration, this treasured constructing can proceed to serve college students, welcome faculty excursions, host instructional applications and gatherings, encourage, and stay open to the general public for one more 100 years.
We strongly encourage the Seattle Landmarks Board to heed the collective voices of preservation advocates, supporters and donors calling for the genuine restoration of the Shell Home.
We name upon the UW and Landmarks Board to honor the preservation mandate to take care of, shield and protect key historic options of the outside, inside and website, and delay as needed the issuance of a certificates of approval till a extra traditionally correct and delicate rehabilitation plan for the outside is offered by the UW for approval.
Data on Seattle Landmarks Board conferences is right here: st.news/agendas
