Bellingham Then & Now: Viking Union

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)