Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park
Tacoma, Washington
Located off of the beautiful coastline of Commencement Bay and designed within the back-drop of a Chinese garden, the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park is a culturally-sensitive project that tells the tragic story of how the City of Tacoma forcibly expelled its Chinese community in the late 1800s. Established by city and community activists, the park is designed to educate and establish a historical memory of the tragic event and also serves as a commitment by the city and community to promote peace, harmony, reconciliation, and cultural understanding within the City of Tacoma.
Tangram Design worked with the city, historical societies, the Chinese government, and community representatives to obtain the most accurate and politically sensitive solution to telling this story to the public. Tangram provided an educational and interpretive signage program that integrates the story of the expulsion into the landscape of the park.
“Tangram has demonstrated their full understanding of the historic background and the social implications associated with the project. The team has been very sensitive and attentive to the cultural attributes that are unique to the project. Their design work is very creative and impressive, and Tangram has responded well to the City's needs.”
— Lihuang Wung, City of Tacoma, Senior Planner
