Seattle, Washington, USA
Designed by LMN Architects, the new 1.5-million-square-foot addition to the Seattle Convention Center (SCCS) with developers Pine Street Group occupies four city blocks in the heart of the city’s business and entertainment district and is billed as the first high-rise convention center in North America and is on track to complete most of its construction later this year.
The Seattle Convention Center Summit Building expansion project is the single largest construction effort in Seattle history.
Located among several of Seattle’s densest neighborhoods, the project intends to serve as a connecting hub, with a southeast corner that cantilevers over the adjacent highway. corner that cantilevers over the adjacent highway.
The SCCS addition will transform several under-utilized blocks into a thriving mixed-use district and improve connections between Capitol Hill and the waterfront.
The project also includes two mixed-use towers: a 540,000-square-foot office tower and an approximately 400-unit residential tower. The development offers 36,000 square feet of retail space as well as 16,000 square feet of public open space.
The Convention Center Building presents a transformative opportunity at the intersection of an emerging culture of the delegate of the future, the evolving trends in the convention center industry and the development of Seattle’s urban core.
As a catalyst for revitalizing and re-connecting Seattle’s core neighborhoods, the integration of the SCCS with its surroundings will be the basis for a rich and unique experience for both delegates and residents, an experience that is unique to Seattle.
The Convention Center engages the urban form at all its 15 levels while each façade presents a highly interactive, transparent edge, blurring the boundaries of the site with the city context and the building program.
Each program component embraces natural light and the major program spaces are connected vertically with two large atriums.
The building’s vertical organization, along with numerous flexible event spaces that include a 100,000-square-foot hall, aims to provide efficiency and flexibility for a variety of uses, from single large shows to concurrent visitor and community events.
The interior spaces feature a 200-foot-tall atrium, as well as an array of sustainable, local, and regional materials.
Salvaged wood—some from an old building demolished on site and other wood salvaged from log booms—is featured throughout the building.
Local artists from diverse communities are creating over 20 art pieces and installations for the project.
The glass-enclosed stair along Pine Street positions the interior circulation patterns at the edge of the building, creating dramatic west-facing views to the Pike Place Market and Puget Sound, and broadcasting the energy of convention visitors.
A street plaza at the corner of Pine and 9th Avenue collects the activity of residents and visitors alike.
The project’s contributions to the public realm are as massive as its scale, navigating a diverse mix of public-private intersections while catering to the next generation of convention delegates.
The SCCS program for the co-development projects includes an office tower and a residential building, each rising above street-level podiums with retail and pedestrian-oriented street-level uses.
The office building will consist of a 16-story, approximately 542,000 SF commercial building above 12,000 SF of retail space.
At ground level, highly-glazed retail spaces line Howell Street wrapping the corners at Terry and Boren Avenues with direct access from adjacent sidewalks.
The residential building will consist of a 29-story, approximately 362,000 SF tower including 404 residential units and approximately 17,300 SF of amenity/recreational space.
Additionally, the project contains 7,500 SF of retail space on the ground floor. Along 9th Ave, retail spaces spill out onto a dedicated public plaza.
The Summit Building’s community benefits package includes affordable housing, public art, public open space, and infrastructure improvements for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit.
The convention center is “more like urban infrastructure than a single building,” according to LMN Architects.
“The project elevates the quality of the urban experience with welcoming community places and experiences, both formal and informal, creating a focus of civic life and identity.”
Project: Washington State Convention Center Summit Building
Architects: LMN Architects
Structural Engineers: Magnusson Klemencic Associates in association with Carla Keel Groupand Lund Opsahl
General Contractor: Clark/Lewis
Developer (Summit Addition): Pine Street Group LLC.
Client: Seattle Convention Center
Photographers: Adam Hunter
