What can we learn from downtown Burien? What can it tell us about the changes in commerce in the late twentieth century, the architecture and urban design of retail spaces, and social aspects of shopping? This in-person talk and guided walking tourwill focus on the downtown main street buildings and how Modern architecture and urban design has shaped this community south of Seattle.

Architect Susan Boyle, a Docomomo US/WEWA Board member, and architectural historian David Peterson will give a brief presentation. The tour will start at St. Elizabeth Episcopal Church, designed by Seattle architect Robert Durham and built in 1956, with a view of its sanctuary to learn about its history and award-winning design.

Susan and David will guide tour participants along SW 152nd Street, the spine of Burien’s commercial downtown to view building storefronts and retail blocks dating from the 1920s through the 1960s and learn about key mid-century modern buildings and early strip malls. The route is flat and approximately one-half mile long, one way (one mile long, roundtrip). Within an hour you will learn about and see a remarkably intact microcosm of the changes in commercial development patterns over the twentieth century, the materials that expressed new design ideas about retail stores, and the social role of downtown streets and spaces shaped by planning and development. You’ll see a vibrant collection of independently operated stores, artful retailers, cafes, and coffee shops that are housed in the low-scale buildings of Olde Burien and mid-century Burien. The tour will end at the original 1956 Tradewell supermarket (236 SW 152nd Street), a national AIA award-winning thin-shell concrete design by Los Angeles architecture firm Welton Becket & Associates. The tour will end by 1 pm.

After the tour, you’re encouraged to explore Burien on your own and enjoy the many local businesses where you can shop and eat. And there’s time to check out the “Hello Again Vintage Market” at Burien’s Town Square (400 SW 152nd Street, free, 10 am - 4 pm). 

See you in Burien on Saturday, September 28th! Rain or Shine!

Saturday, September 28, 2024, 11 am to 1 pm 
(Check-in details, parking, etc. provided after you register.)

Buy Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6441749