PenMet Parks Recreation Center

Project Description:

The new PenMet Parks Recreation Center is designed as a true gathering place for Gig Harbor. Set on a 17-acre campus, the facility brings indoor courts, turf, a walking track and fitness together under one roof while linking to trails, outdoor play and community green space. It’s a flexible home for recreation and wellness, shaped to respond to the way people in Gig Harbor live, play and connect — today and for generations to come. More than a building, the recreation center reflects PenMet Parks’ vision for a healthier, more connected community. Every program and space, whether a basketball tournament, a family fitness class or a quiet walk on the track, has been crafted to bring people together across ages and abilities. Every detail of the center’s design reflects Gig Harbor’s identity as a waterfront community. Vertical elements draw inspiration from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, dock pilings, powerlines and sail masts, grounding the building in the visual rhythm of Puget Sound. Inside, wall graphics and materials bring local history and culture into everyday experience. Net patterns — referencing basketball, soccer and fishing — appear throughout the building in homage to Gig Harbor’s historic netsheds, complemented by a whimsical salmon graphic and a donated commercial fishing net from the Harbor History Museum. By combining sports, arts and gathering space in one inclusive hub, the project strengthens the role of parks and recreation as a catalyst for community identity, vitality and wellbeing.