The inspiration for Via6 is grounded in the desire for a new, vibrant standard of urban residential life in downtown Seattle. Via6, the largest private residential development in Seattle’s history, has begun the transformation of an area that had little street life or pedestrian oriented uses to connect South Lake Union with the Retail Core. Located at the edge of several evolving districts, the team worked to create a setting for an authentic community, with a vibrant mix of street-level uses, restaurants and leisure spaces mixed seamlessly with residential amenities to frame a complete residential experience.
The two-tower development rises above a seven-story base with frontage along the full length of the block. Street level uses include restaurants, a pub and a café, an urban grocer, flower shop, and a bicycle shop. These uses are permeable and open in to the streetscape, and connect to an interior “market street”, blending with residential amenities. This blending of the public and private uses in the building helps to create the sense of an authentic place, one with varied activities and an active social life.
Interactive media displays and other amenities are interspersed among the retail uses, blending public and private and creating an urban village feel. A mezzanine level provides additional, flexible shared community space for quiet introspection or heavy socializing, and also houses the fitness room and a game room, available for use by the resident community.
At the lower rooftop between the two towers a Pavilion offers a series of both indoor and outdoor resident communal spaces including a lounge, demonstration kitchen, outdoor BBQ areas, formal dining area and conference room with formal and informal seating areas.
The design of the residential units accentuate the verticality of the towers, which rise 24 stories above ground with 3 levels of below-grade parking. A variety of use in the floor plans maximizes the functional use of living space, with open and flexible plans.