Roland Terry was a leading force behind the rise of modernist buildings in the postwar period and through the middle of the 20th century. Incorporating natural materials, open spaces, interior and landscape design with architecture, Terry's designs constitute some of the best examples of Northwest Modernist architecture. From 1960 to 1974, Terry operated as Roland Terry & Associates and began to expand his work from upscale residences and commercial interior design towards larger projects such as the Washington Park Towers. The Washington Park Towers project is a high-rise condominium development on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Controversial for its height, the twenty-three-story high-rise condominium was the only high-rise building in the otherwise residential neighborhood. Terry responded to criticisms of the tower's height by claiming that it occupied less visual space than the construction of an equal number of residences would. Despite its size, Terry worked to create a unique, residential feeling for each of the units. The angular vertical panels and square design of the tower ensured that each residence in the tower would have a private balcony with no views into or from neighboring units.
Architecture of the Pacific Northwest Collection
