The new Washington State Convention Center Summit Building—billed as the first high-rise convention center in North America—is on track to complete most of its construction later this year.
Designed by LMN Architects, the 1.5-million-square-foot addition to the Seattle Convention Center occupies four city blocks in the heart of the city’s business and entertainment district. 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.
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.
Mixed-Use Towers
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 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 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 a statement from 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.”
Owner and developer: Seattle Convention Center
Design architect and architect of record: LMN Architects
MEP engineer: Arup in association with McCleskey Consulting, SN Consulting, and FSi Consulting
Structural engineer: Magnusson Klemencic Associates in association with Carla Keel Group and Lund Opsahl
General contractor/construction manager: Clark/Lewis
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Apr 12, 2016
Santiago Calatrava tower in Dubai could be taller than the Burj Khalifa
The slender structure will have 10 observation platforms, two Hanging Gardens decks, and a illuminating flower bud at the top.
Virtual Reality | Apr 8, 2016
Skanska will use Microsoft HoloLens to lease planned Seattle high rise
The mixed reality headset will allow people to take a holographic tour of the building while keeping visual contact with the leasing representative.
BIM and Information Technology | Apr 5, 2016
Interactive 3D map shows present and future Miami skyline
The Downtown Miami Interactive 3-D Skyline Map lets users see the status of every downtown office, retail, residential, and hotel project.
High-rise Construction | Mar 28, 2016
SOM’s Salt Lake City skyscraper uses innovative structural system to suspend itself over a neighboring building
The hat truss-supported office tower was topped off in January, rising 25 stories above the Salt Lake City streets.
High-rise Construction | Mar 18, 2016
'High-Rise' movie, based on the novel of the same name, headed to theaters
The story, which was originally thought to be a critique of London’s city planning, takes place in a high-rise divided to mimic the historical class structure of Western society.
High-rise Construction | Mar 10, 2016
Bigger, taller, wider: London’s skyline is about to have a major growth spurt
More than 100 tall buildings have been added to the plans for the capital city since this time last year, and the overall number of tall buildings planned for London is now over 400.
High-rise Construction | Mar 9, 2016
Seismic Design Working Group calls for participation in peer review process
Research at an advanced stage.
High-rise Construction | Mar 8, 2016
Weston Williamson designs vertical neighborhood with ‘kissing towers’ in Hong Kong
The towers will connect between the 21st and 25th floors. The entire complex will sit above a high-speed rail line.
High-rise Construction | Mar 7, 2016
Russian architect Vasily Klyukin unveils design for Asian Cobra Tower
The skyscraper, which can change colors and would house a nightclub in its "mouth," is the latest idea from an unconventional thinker.
High-rise Construction | Mar 3, 2016
LA's U.S. Bank Tower to build exterior glass slide leading from 70th to 69th floors
The glass slide, part of a $50 million renovation project, will stretch 45 feet along the exterior of the building.
