flow

The South Tacoma Pump Station located along Water Flume Line Trail provides a canvas for 5 iconic images of water.  As a photographic color field homage to the stained glass windows that originally inhabited these recessed panels, flow is a celebration of clean water and the infrastructure that provides it to Tacoma.  A symbol of the mercurial nature of our hydrophilic world, each ‘portrait’ reflects a ‘personality’ of water in a particular state. 

The photographic images will be printed on a plastic film, adhered to an exterior grade hard foamcore board (Sintra) and sealed with a UV-resistant anti-graffiti film.  We’re currently considering the source for imagery.  One option involves obtaining rights from an image library.  Another would employ the commissioning of a local photographer.  Installation simply entails screwing each photographic panel to the existing plywood substrate.  If there are any issues (vandalism, complaints, maintenance), the panels can be quickly removed.  Replacement images can be easily created from electronic files that will be part of our maintenance manual package.

By simplifying design, materials, installation and overall approach; this project offers visibility for the service Tacoma Water provides to this part of the city.  Along with a little cleaning (and a fresh coat of paint), it would revive an Art Deco gem while serving as a subtle reminder of its WPA heritage.  As an architectural frame for the iconic representation of pure clean water, South Tacoma Pump Station embodies the living New Deal legacy that remains vital to our nation’s civic infrastructure and ideals.