Gordon Walker came to Seattle in 1962 to seek his architectural fortune after graduating from the University of Idaho. First working for preservation architect Ralph Anderson, Walker contributed to the rehabilitation of several key buildings in Pioneer Square, including the Maynard Building and the Grand Central Arcade. Gordon and Jim Olson soon established their own office, Olson Walker, the predecessor to Olson Kundig.
Gordon’s work is always rooted in its place, whether creating a new space from an existing structure, as with the Green Lake Small Craft Center, or designing an appropriate new building in the historic heart of the city, exemplified by the Pike & Virginia Building. Gordon will discuss his early designs and city planning visions, particularly as they relate to the development of the city and the rehabilitation of Pioneer Square in the 1970s.
Walker is the subject of the recently published book Gordon Walker: A Poetic Architecture by historian and UW professor emeritus Grant Hildebrand.
Cost: $25 Members / $35 General Public
Photo: Gordon Walker (far right) at the office of Olson Walker, courtesy of Olson Kundig.