Published September 12, 2019

Bellingham Then & Now: Viking Union

Written by Leo Cohen

Bellingham Then & Now: Viking Union header image.

Western Washington University’s first year of classes - and just a mere 88 students - was housed in a solo building, the three-story structure we now know as Old Main.

Today the campus is home to over 60 buildings, starting from the northernmost cluster of residence halls - Nash, Mathes and Higginson - and continuing past Old Main down to Red Square, which is surrounded by libraries and social science departments, plus Woodring, Western’s teaching program. The southward journey continues through Haskell Plaza and its Feats of Strength art installations (the “little green men” to locals), and passes science and art buildings, sporting centers and residence halls.

These buildings were constructed one by one over Western’s history, and the eras of construction on campus are reflected in them, from the stone walls of Old Main to the glass-walled skybridge of Academic West.

A collection of buildings, including Carver Gym, Fraser Hall, and the eight Ridge residence halls, were influenced by the designs of architect Fred Bassetti.

A Seattle native and University of Washington graduate who later attended Harvard, Bassetti began his architectural career with residential designs, then launched into larger projects, including the Lakeview Elementary School and Mercer Island High School.

He was commissioned to design the Viking Union building, on High Street towards the north end of campus.

“Of course it was a great opportunity for me; it was probably my first building of any consequence.” (source)

The original VU housed student activities, just like it does today. Lounges, cafes, even a barber shop were housed in its walls. Today, after a series of additions, the VU’s eight stories host a myriad of activities, services, and food choices for the Western student body. There’s a cafe, market, the Underground Coffeehouse, and the student bookstore. Many student governance and campus club activities take place in the walls of the Viking Union, like the KUGS 89.3FM radio broadcasts, or the WWU Swing Kids dances.

Bassetti would go on to work on other projects throughout Western’s campus, winning awards for his designs of the Ridge residence halls. A 2013 Western Today article about Bassetti quoted then-campus architect, Rick Benner:

"When many campuses were heading towards an international modern style of architecture, that at times felt out of place, Fred was able to capture the uniqueness of the Western experience and express it in his architecture throughout campus, from the Viking Union to Wilson Library to the Ridgeway residence halls." (source)

Bassetti continued to expand his portfolio, working on such well-known regional landmarks as the Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market, the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Seattle Federal Building. He even crossed the Atlantic to design the American embassy in Portugal.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Carol Smith describes Bassetti’s design philosophy in a 1988 article:

“Bassetti refers often to ‘truth’ and ‘honesty’ when describing his design philosophy. He lets his designs evolve naturally, drawing inspiration from the surroundings, structural considerations and the site itself. In the same way that the play of the sun and wind determine the growth of a plant, the environment can shape the best design for a building, he said.” (source)

Previously on Bellingham Then & Now: the Roland G. Gamwell House was a social center of Fairhaven. Next up on Bellingham Then & Now: Originally the Mount Baker Theatre was a movie palace, an escape from the Depression.

Sources

Anderson, Matthew. (2013) “Fred Bassetti Designed Much of Western’s Campus”. Western Today (2013). Link.

Carlson, Jordan. (2018). Klipsun Magazine. “The Memories that Make Western Washington University”. Link.

Hancock, Marga Rose. (2009). HistoryLink. “Bassetti, Fred (1917-2013)”. Link.

“Self-Guided Tour.” (PDF). WWU Admissions. Link.

Images

Then: 1969 Addition Construction https://mabel.wwu.edu/islandora/object/wwu%3A6653

Now: Cooper Hansley

Collage:

1958 Architect’s Drawing (1) https://mabel.wwu.edu/islandora/object/wwu%3A6603

1959 Construction (2) https://mabel.wwu.edu/islandora/object/wwu%3A6602

1959 Construction (multi-floor exterior) (3) https://mabel.wwu.edu/islandora/object/wwu%3A6611