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
| Jul 10, 2014
BioSkin 'vertical sprinkler' named top technical innovation in high-rise design
BioSkin, a system of water-filled ceramic pipes that cools the exterior surface of buildings and their surrounding micro-climates, has won the 2014 Tall Building Innovation Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 1, 2014
China's wild circular skyscraper opens in Guangzhou [slideshow]
The 33-story Guanghzou Circle takes the shape of a giant ribbon spool, with the floor space housed in a series of boxes suspended between two massive "wheels."
| Jun 18, 2014
SOM's twisting tower wins design competition for Sweden's tallest skyscraper
The skyscraper, which will reach 230 meters and is named Polstjärnan, or "The Pole Star," is to be built in Gothenburg, Sweden.
| Jun 17, 2014
World's tallest pair of towers to serve as 'environmental catalyst' for China
The Phoenix Towers are expected to reach 1 km, the same height as Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's Kingdom Tower, but would set a record for multiple towers in one development.
| Jun 6, 2014
KPF, Kevin Roche unveil design for 51-story Hudson Yards tower in NYC [slideshow]
Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group are teaming to develop Fifty Five Hudson Yards, the latest addition to the commercial office tower collection in the 28-acre Hudson Yards development—the largest private real estate development in the history of the U.S.
| Jun 3, 2014
Libeskind's latest skyscraper breaks ground in the Philippines
The Century Spire, Daniel Libeskind's latest project, has just broken ground in Century City, southwest of Manila. It is meant to accommodate apartments and offices.
| May 29, 2014
Wood advocacy groups release 'lessons learned' report on tall wood buildings
The wood-industry advocacy group reThink Wood has released "Summary Report: Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings," with informatino from 10 mid-rise projects in Europe, Australia, and Canada.
| May 29, 2014
Five finalists, including SOM and Zaha Hadid, chosen in competition for Sweden's tallest skyscraper
In Sernecke's competition to design Sweden's tallest skyscraper, five finalists have been selected: Manuelle Gautrand Architects, Ian Simpson Architects, SOM, Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor, and Zaha Hadid Architects.
| May 28, 2014
KPF's dual towers in Turkey will incorporate motifs, symbols of Ottoman Empire
The two-building headquarters for Turkey’s largest and oldest financial institution, Ziraat Bank, is inspired by the country’s cultural heritage.
| May 20, 2014
Kinetic Architecture: New book explores innovations in active façades
The book, co-authored by Arup's Russell Fortmeyer, illustrates the various ways architects, consultants, and engineers approach energy and comfort by manipulating air, water, and light through the layers of passive and active building envelope systems.