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Populus Seattle
Populus Seattle
Seattle, WA, United States
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Other Projects by The Miller Hull Partnership
Populus Seattle
Seattle, WA, United States
A historic steam supply warehouse in Seattle’s Pioneer Square has been reimagined as Populus Seattle, a 120-room boutique hotel with architectural design by The Miller Hull Partnership, in collaboration with Urban Villages, Curioso, Aparium Hotel Group, and JTM Construction. Located within RailSpur—a micro-district reviving a long-dormant rail corridor and alley intersection—the project breathes new life into the 1907 Westland Building through a technically ambitious and structurally sensitive transformation. More than a hospitality destination, Populus Seattle is a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization and a model for adaptive reuse in historic districts.
Realizing its potential meant addressing the building’s inherent limitations through a series of inventive design and engineering moves, each balancing preservation with high performance. Originally constructed for a steam pipe supply company, the Westland Building’s deep floor plates once limited daylight and ventilation. Reimagining the structure as a hotel prompted a bold intervention: expanding an existing central Sky Court, first cut in 1979, to channel light and air into the interior guestrooms, lobby, and the hotel’s signature restaurant via a large skylight. Joists supporting the new skylight were reclaimed from other parts of the building, helping to restore structural integrity where the 1979 cut had weakened it. Working closely with structural engineers at Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Miller Hull also repositioned the vertical circulation core. This move reestablished a long-blocked passage between the main entrance and an alley-side dining enclosure, reinforcing a vital pedestrian connection through the building. At the same time, the new core doubles as a stabilizing element, resisting seismic forces without the need for intrusive diagonal bracing that would compromise either the historic exterior or the guestroom interiors.
The sheltered outdoor dining area activates the RailSpur alley, invites public engagement, and sits atop an existing transformer vault, requiring complex approvals and close coordination with Seattle City Light. The result is a removable roof structure that accommodates future maintenance without compromising aesthetics or accessibility. Miller Hull implemented critical seismic and mechanical upgrades with a light touch, ensuring structural resilience while preserving the building’s original brick facade and historic character. The team collaborated with the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program to ensure all structural and architectural modifications aligned with federal standards for adaptive reuse.
Alongside the architectural interventions, the team also navigated complex regulatory terrain to unlock new possibilities for the building and neighborhood. A pivotal aspect of Populus Seattle’s evolution was its engagement with changing codes and zoning ordinances. Leveraging Seattle’s newly adopted mass timber building codes, typically reserved for new construction, the team adapted these guidelines to the historic structure, enabling the addition of a rooftop dining experience. With Urban Villages and land use attorneys leading the effort, the team also championed a successful amendment to city zoning regulations, overturning a longstanding prohibition on rooftop food and beverage service in Pioneer Square. This legislative win not only cleared the way for the neighborhood’s first rooftop bar but also set an exciting precedent for future adaptive reuse across the city.
A cultural hub where art, music, history, culinary, and community converge, the hotel offers guests a deeply immersive experience. Guests enter through a lush, biophilic entry into a grand lobby where plants, nature-inspired artworks curated by ARTXIV, and preserved Douglas Fir beams speak to the building’s layered design story. From there, a striking staircase leads to the second-floor restaurant and glass-wrapped solarium, where greenery creates a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. Above, the rooftop bar—with its sweeping views and verdant landscape by Site Workshop—anchors the hotel in the surrounding city and natural world. Pacific Northwest-rooted details and preserved architectural elements, including exposed historic car decking and brick, strike a deliberate balance between natural beauty and urban edge.
Populus Seattle is part of a broader wave of transformation sweeping through Pioneer Square. Once sidelined by regulatory complexity and aging infrastructure, the neighborhood is now welcoming a surge of new energy, from converted office spaces to vibrant street-level amenities. By restoring and reactivating the Westland Building, the project contributes to a walkable, culturally rich district where heritage and innovation intersect. With its mix of biophilic architecture, neighborhood-first programming, and curated art created on-site and inspired by the Pacific Northwest, Populus Seattle is both a preservation success story and a forward-looking model for adaptive reuse in historic urban cores.
Realizing its potential meant addressing the building’s inherent limitations through a series of inventive design and engineering moves, each balancing preservation with high performance. Originally constructed for a steam pipe supply company, the Westland Building’s deep floor plates once limited daylight and ventilation. Reimagining the structure as a hotel prompted a bold intervention: expanding an existing central Sky Court, first cut in 1979, to channel light and air into the interior guestrooms, lobby, and the hotel’s signature restaurant via a large skylight. Joists supporting the new skylight were reclaimed from other parts of the building, helping to restore structural integrity where the 1979 cut had weakened it. Working closely with structural engineers at Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Miller Hull also repositioned the vertical circulation core. This move reestablished a long-blocked passage between the main entrance and an alley-side dining enclosure, reinforcing a vital pedestrian connection through the building. At the same time, the new core doubles as a stabilizing element, resisting seismic forces without the need for intrusive diagonal bracing that would compromise either the historic exterior or the guestroom interiors.
The sheltered outdoor dining area activates the RailSpur alley, invites public engagement, and sits atop an existing transformer vault, requiring complex approvals and close coordination with Seattle City Light. The result is a removable roof structure that accommodates future maintenance without compromising aesthetics or accessibility. Miller Hull implemented critical seismic and mechanical upgrades with a light touch, ensuring structural resilience while preserving the building’s original brick facade and historic character. The team collaborated with the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program to ensure all structural and architectural modifications aligned with federal standards for adaptive reuse.
Alongside the architectural interventions, the team also navigated complex regulatory terrain to unlock new possibilities for the building and neighborhood. A pivotal aspect of Populus Seattle’s evolution was its engagement with changing codes and zoning ordinances. Leveraging Seattle’s newly adopted mass timber building codes, typically reserved for new construction, the team adapted these guidelines to the historic structure, enabling the addition of a rooftop dining experience. With Urban Villages and land use attorneys leading the effort, the team also championed a successful amendment to city zoning regulations, overturning a longstanding prohibition on rooftop food and beverage service in Pioneer Square. This legislative win not only cleared the way for the neighborhood’s first rooftop bar but also set an exciting precedent for future adaptive reuse across the city.
A cultural hub where art, music, history, culinary, and community converge, the hotel offers guests a deeply immersive experience. Guests enter through a lush, biophilic entry into a grand lobby where plants, nature-inspired artworks curated by ARTXIV, and preserved Douglas Fir beams speak to the building’s layered design story. From there, a striking staircase leads to the second-floor restaurant and glass-wrapped solarium, where greenery creates a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. Above, the rooftop bar—with its sweeping views and verdant landscape by Site Workshop—anchors the hotel in the surrounding city and natural world. Pacific Northwest-rooted details and preserved architectural elements, including exposed historic car decking and brick, strike a deliberate balance between natural beauty and urban edge.
Populus Seattle is part of a broader wave of transformation sweeping through Pioneer Square. Once sidelined by regulatory complexity and aging infrastructure, the neighborhood is now welcoming a surge of new energy, from converted office spaces to vibrant street-level amenities. By restoring and reactivating the Westland Building, the project contributes to a walkable, culturally rich district where heritage and innovation intersect. With its mix of biophilic architecture, neighborhood-first programming, and curated art created on-site and inspired by the Pacific Northwest, Populus Seattle is both a preservation success story and a forward-looking model for adaptive reuse in historic urban cores.
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