Downtown Anchorage’s former Key Bank Plaza Building will be modernized and expanded into a sleek, glacier-inspired office building, courtesy of Perkins&Will.
The nine-story building was originally built in 1972 at 601 W 5th Avenue. The building required extensive structural repairs as a result of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in November 2018 and, as such, will receive much-needed seismic reinforcements as part of the redesign. On the interior, all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will be replaced, a new stair tower will be built, and modern elevators and a freight elevator will be installed.
The exterior is also set to undergo substantial work that pays homage to Alaska’s natural wonders. This includes a 40,000-sf sloped facade that reconfigures the building to resemble a glacier, replacing the precast concrete cladding with floor-to-ceiling windows.
To account for dark, snowy winters, radiant heating, six new skylights, and drought-tolerant native plants have been incorporated into the project’s master plan. Due to the site’s potential for substantial pedestrian activity, onsite landscape and hardscape improvements have become a top priority for the design team.
The building’s owners hope the project will reinvigorate Anchorage’s downtown area, which has not seen any new construction for the past 10 years. The $30 million-project is slated for completion in 2022.
Related Stories
| Jul 18, 2013
Top State Government Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, AECOM, URS top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest state government sector engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top State Government Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, Perkins+Will, HNTB top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest state government sector architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Federal Government Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Fluor, URS, AECOM top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest federal government sector engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Federal Government Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
HOK, SmithGroupJJR, PageSoutherlandPage top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest federal government sector architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Government Sector Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Clark Group, Turner, PCL head Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest government sector contractors and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Government Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Fluor, URS, AECOM top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest government sector engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Government Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HOK, HDR top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest government sector architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
GSA regains stature under Tangherlini, who looks to trim its holdings, cut energy costs [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Over the past 15 months, Acting GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini has done a creditable job of restoring the agency’s standing with Congress and the public.
| Jul 17, 2013
CBRE recognizes nation's best green research projects
A rating system for comparative tenant energy use and a detailed evaluation of Energy Star energy management strategies are among the green research projects to be honored by commercial real estate giant CBRE Group.
| Jul 11, 2013
DOE releases stricter energy efficiency standards for new federal buildings taking effect in 2014
The Energy Department released stricter energy efficiency standards this month for new federal buildings.