Last month, the first substation built in Seattle in three decades opened between that city’s fast-growing South Lake Union area and Denny Triangle.
The Denny Substation officially debuted on July 20. It is the culmination of a three-year construction and multiyear planning and community engagement process between the facility’s designer, NBBJ, and Seattle City Lights, the city-owned electric utility.
The $210 million substation complex—which ran $100 million over its initial cost projections in 2005 due to rising construction costs and increases in the neighborhood's power needs in the ensuing years—covers more than 120,000 sf within a block and a half of real estate where a former Greyhound bus maintenance terminal once stood. The complex includes the 10,000-sf substation with slanted, stainless-steel walls that pick up color from sunlight and the sky. Translucent glass panels emit a soft glow when illuminated at night. Ambient light is strategically placed to brighten the building’s interior space.
Panels allow visitors to see into the facility, and highlights the centrality of energy in the neighborhood's vitality. Image: Benjamin Benschneider
Translucent and transparent walls, 35 feet high, allow visitors to view directly into the substation. This feature is meant to remind the public about the production and importance of energy and power in daily life. Indeed, what makes this project unique is how it has been designed to be friendly to users and the community at large.
ALSO SEE: Energizing the Neighborhood
There’s an ADA-compliant elevated diagonal walkway, one-quarter mile long, that wraps around the building. The west side of the site includes a 44,000-sf public green with an off-leash dog park and space for food trucks.
Part of the Community Meeting Space inside the Denny Substation. Image: Ryne Hill and NBBJ
Inside the substation are a 3,900-sf Community Meeting Space, and a 2,900-sf Energy Inspiration Space, with a pantry, offices, immersive theater, activity zone, and exhibition space. The substation has its own public art program that incorporates permanent artworks, temporary pieces, and ongoing cultural and artistic programming.
The Denny Substation, powered mostly by hydroelectric energy, is projected to be Net Positive, generating 105% of the energy needs and projected to achieve an Energy Use Intensity level of 15.5, on par with Seattle’s Bullitt Center, one of the country’s greenest office buildings. The substation is targeting Petal Certification from the Living Building Challenge.
An off-leash dog park is part of the public space within the substation's premises. Image: NBBJ
An interactive kiosk allows visitors to illuminate a post, thereby emphasizing the interaction between residents and power sources. Image: NBBJ
Related Stories
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2016
World’s largest cultural center planned for Dubai
The Opera District will have a 2,000-seat theater and three residential complexes.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 28, 2016
Studio Dror designs geodesic dome to pair with the Montreal Biosphère
The aluminum dome, which honors the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, can host events year-round.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 25, 2016
Two milestones recognized as Diamond Schmitt designs upgrades to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa
Renovations, including a new tower, stage, and lounge, will be completed in 2017, the year of Canada’s 150th and the center’s 50th birthday.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 12, 2016
Studio Libeskind designs angular Kurdish museum rich with symbolism
The museum consists of four geometric volumes separated by somber and uplifting divisions.
Performing Arts Centers | Apr 1, 2016
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture’s The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare to begin construction this spring at Navy Pier
Among the unique design features is a movable set of structural audience “towers” that allows for directors and designers to create a space that works best for their specific performances.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 31, 2016
An extreme sports tower for climbing and BASE jumping is proposed for Dubai’s waterfront
The design incorporates Everest-like base camps for different skill levels.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 21, 2016
PAB Architects designs marketplace to centralize Senegal street vending
The Senegal City Market project consists of groups of store modules and is expected to expand to 13 cities.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 15, 2016
OMA’s first UAE project transforms warehouses into multi-purpose art district venue
Moveable walls will provide different spatial configurations for events and gatherings, and large glass doors will blur indoors and outdoors.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 8, 2016
The sexy side of universal design
What would it look like if achieving universal accessibility was an inspiring point of departure for a project's design process? Sasaki's Gina Ford focuses on Marina Plaza and the Cove, two key features of her firm's Chicago Riverwalk development.
Museums | Mar 3, 2016
How museums engage visitors in a digital age
Digital technologies are opening up new dimensions of the museum experience and turning passive audiences into active content generators, as Gensler's Marina Bianchi examines.