When one speaks of Richland and its must see sights, one of the first institutions to strike is the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center (popularly termed The Reach). This is a new center being constructed to attract tourists and celebrate the American Indian legacy while educating people about the native and socio cultural ethos of the Hanford Reach in Columbia.
Conceived in 2000 The Reach was basically a concept geared to providing inputs about the region. Building on an idea like this from scratch required not just time but also money and collective experience of a whole lot of people from different walks of life. The Reach has come a long way since then. Today the second phase of development is witness to erection of infrastructure at the Columbia Point South.
The Reach is situated at the Columbia Point South located in Richland, Washington. For years together this point at the confluence of the rivers Yakima and Columbia , has been the node of activity. The apt location of The Reach embodies the coming together and union of not just the waters of the rivers but also of different communities, cultures, species, and ideologies.
The Reach is gradually taking the shape of an all encompassing Northwest institution which will impact the present and future generations with all the knowledge it holds about the country, geography and cultures…things which have molded the history of the land and which will mould the future.
The Reach spans 61,000-square-feet of land in area and offers panoramic vistas of the Yakima and Columbia rivers and adjacent hills. The Seattle based architectural firm Jones & Jones, has drawn from its vast experience in landscape architecture to focus on nature, the native inhabitants, and biological regions for this project. A beautiful and functional layout has been designed to meet the requirements of the Tri-Cities. Hilferty & Associates, from Ohio is working with the research teams to breathe new life into the stories they plan to exhibit at the center.
The Reach will have a Permanent gallery displaying the Hanford Project and its details. The end stages of the Columbia river with its spawning areas of the Chinook salmon will be showcased here on projectors with special effects and surround sound theatre ambience.
The White Bluffs Theater will showcase this emotionally exuberant clip for visitors. Alongside there will be 4 primary displays named: The Land Takes from, The Living Land, The Land Transformed and Saving The Reach. These will entail details of the geological mutations over the years, the flora and fauna and the tribes who have inhabited these regions, will show how WWII transformed the region from an agrarian base to a research center for nuclear technology down to the final and current chapter detailing environmental politicking.
All this will be showcased with special theater effects not just on the screen but also below the audience, transforming the theatre and bringing the events to life across time. It is an endeavor to sensitize people to their nation and history.
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