The renovation of this 29-story office tower for developer Tishman Speyer consisted of a lobby redesign, as well as exterior façade updates. Originally constructed in 1983, the building had experienced several additions to the façade throughout the 1990s. With this latest renovation, the goal was to reestablish 520 Pike as a modern building.
Located in the heart of Seattle’s downtown business district, the building houses over 1,000 workplace tenants. Thousands of people move through the highly-trafficked lobby daily, as the building contains an above-ground public parking garage. The renovation reestablishes 520 Pike’s street presence with a strong unifying dark tone for the tower, and a white painted steel canopy to emphasize the street entrance.
Inside, the newly redesigned lobby and inhabited art space reflects Seattle’s environmental and material presence, providing a calm passageway between the urban environment outside and the offices above. A feature wall clad in poplar strips interspersed with vertical lighting recalls Pacific Northwest forests, with salvaged local timber beams used for the reception desk and benches. Large granite “boulder” seating punctuates the lobby, creating a natural respite within this urban high-rise building.
“This project updates a key site in Seattle’s downtown core, contributing to ongoing improvements along the Pike/Pine corridor. 520 Pike is reestablished as an innovative building, with a strong unifying dark tone for the tower and street front punctuated by a sleek, white painted steel canopy. Inside, a lobby and art space reflects Seattle’s environmental and material presence.” –Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA, Design Principal
Project Team: Kirsten Murray, FAIA, Design Principal; Jerry Garcia, Principal/Project Manager; Brian Walters, Jeff Ocampo and Mikel Amias, Architectural Staff; Margaret Undine, Interior Design Staff
Key Consultants: Turner Construction, General Contractor; MKA Engineering, Structural Engineer; Niteo Lighting, Lighting Design; Quarra Stone, Stone Seating Fabrication
Photos: Aaron Leitz
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