Wake for Nuclear Reactor Building
Nuclear Reactor Building
Celebration of Life (1961 – 2016)
On July 19, 2016, the Nuclear Reactor Building (NRB) was unceremoniously and quietly demolished by the University of Washington (UW). The passing of this historically and architecturally significant building ends a years-long battle between preservation advocates and the UW.
The NRB hailed from the Atomic Age of the 1960s, representing nuclear engineering technology and contributing to the University’s science and research programs. The NRB was unique. It was an architectural, engineering, and artistic marvel dreamed up by a stellar team of University professors and alumni. It set itself apart from the rest of campus with its Brutalist architectural features.
In 2014, plans for demolition of the NRB were resurrected by the UW. The building made it on the Washington Trust’s Most Endangered Properties list for a second time in 2015 (the first was in 2008) and preservation advocates rallied to Save the Reactor. In the end, the structure met its demise. Read the eulogy for this significant structure to learn more.
Although the NRB is gone, it is not forgotten.
Join Docomomo WEWA, Historic Seattle, and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation for a gathering at the NRB/More Hall Annex site to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of the Nuclear Reactor Building:
Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Please wear all black attire. We’ll go to a local pub afterwards. No registration or RSVP is required. In lieu of flowers, please share stories and memories at the wake, on the Save the Reactor Facebook page or by emailing info@savethereactor.org.
Photo: Color image – Site after demolition (Washington Trust for Historic Preservation); Nuclear Reactor Building (John Stamets for Docomomo WEWA, 2008)