The updated designs and plans 707 Terry Avenue in First Hill manage to break away from the cookie-cutter buildings in the area through the use of a façade that creates frayed appearance and, what Perkins+Will, the buildings’ architect, describes as a ‘creative tension’ that is fostered by the towers angling away from each other the higher into the sky they climb.
According to Curbed Seattle, each tower will be 33-stories tall and include around 440 apartments, 7,600 sf of commercial space, and 283 underground parking spaces (those totals vary and are not set in stone yet). The towers will be connected in two places: on the ground floor by a three-story podium and near the very top via a skywalk.
The proposed site for the residential towers is on land owned by the Frye Art Museum. Because of this, the museum will own a few of the apartments and some of the garage parking spots will be reserved for museum parking.
Theurbanist.org reports that each tower will be divided into three boxes containing about 10 floors. The unique-looking, frayed façade of the two buildings will be created through the use of metal, perforated shoji screens. These screens will act as sunscreens and be attached to a track system so residents can move and rearrange them as they see fit, meaning the façade will have a fluid, ever-changing nature about it. The screens will be able to cover windows or enclose entire balconies.
Secure bike storage and a full service restaurant with outdoor seating will also be included on the ground floor.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
Related Stories
| Jul 10, 2013
TED talk: Architect Michael Green on why we should build tomorrow's skyscrapers out of wood
In a newly posted TED talk, wood skyscraper expert Michael Green makes the case for building the next-generation of mid- and high-rise buildings out of wood.
| Jul 9, 2013
AISC releases Design Guide on Blast Resistant Structures
Design professionals now have a valuable new resource on blast resistant structures with AISC Design Guide No. 26, Design of Blast Resistant Structures.
High-rise Construction | Jul 9, 2013
5 innovations in high-rise building design
KONE's carbon-fiber hoisting technology and the Broad Group's prefab construction process are among the breakthroughs named 2013 Innovation Award winners by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 1, 2013
LEGOLAND builds 12-foot replica of One World Trade Center
The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester in Yonkers, N.Y., celebrated the completion of a LEGO replica of One World Trade Center by lighting the 12-foot-tall, 100-pound model.
| Jun 25, 2013
Mirvish, Gehry revise plans for triad of Toronto towers
A trio of mixed-use towers planned for an urban redevelopment project in Toronto has been redesigned by planners David Mirvish and Frank Gehry. The plan was announced last October but has recently been substantially revised.
| Jun 25, 2013
First look: Herzog & de Meuron's Jade Signature condo tower in Florida
Real estate developer Fortune International has released details of its new Jade Signature property, to be developed in Sunny Isles Beach near Miami. The luxury waterfront condo building will include 192 units in a 57-story building near high-end retail destinations and cultural venues.
| Jun 17, 2013
First look: Austin to get first high-rise since 2003
Developer Cousins Properties broke ground on the 29-story Colorado Tower in downtown Austin, Texas, the city's first high-rise building since Cousins' completed the Frost Bank Tower a decade ago.
| Jun 11, 2013
Vertical urban campus fills a tall order [2013 Building Team Award winner]
Roosevelt University builds a 32-story tower to satisfy students’ needs for housing, instruction, and recreation.
| Jun 11, 2013
Finnish elevator technology could facilitate supertall building design
KONE Corporation has announced a new elevator technology that could make it possible for supertall buildings to reach new heights by eliminating several problems of existing elevator technology. The firm's new UltraRope hoisting system uses a rope with a carbon-fiber core and high-friction coating, rather than conventional steel rope.
| Jun 4, 2013
SOM research project examines viability of timber-framed skyscraper
In a report released today, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill discussed the results of the Timber Tower Research Project: an examination of whether a viable 400-ft, 42-story building could be created with timber framing. The structural type could reduce the carbon footprint of tall buildings by up to 75%.