Museum of Glass

The Museum of Glass provides a dynamic learning environment to appreciate the medium of glass through creative experiences, collections and exhibitions. Designed by acclaimed Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, the $48 million Museum engages audiences in the artistic process and serves as a symbol for the redevelopment of Tacoma, a historic and scenic city on the shores of Washington’s Puget Sound.

An immediately identifiable cultural landmark, the 75,000-square-foot building is Erickson’s first major art museum in the United States and features his trademark use of concrete integrated with glass in provocative Modernist forms. Erickson’s exceptional ability to design large-scale contemporary buildings in response to their environment is exemplified in the Museum’s horizontal profile that ascends in a series of platforms from the banks of the Thea Foss Waterway to a rooftop plaza. The Museum’s most distinctive architectural feature, a tilted 90-foot-tall cone wrapped in stainless steel, punctuates the skyline and serves as an icon for the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by the wood burners of sawmills that once proliferated the region, the shimmering cone symbolizes the city’s transformation from an industrial to a cultural center.

The Museum houses 13,000 square feet of exhibition space, outdoor exhibition space, a 180-seat theater, an experimental studio for educational programs, the Hot Shop Amphitheater and a museum store and café, as well as a serene rooftop plaza with panoramic views of the city and waterfront.