flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Construction begins on Seattle's Tibet-inspired Potala Tower

High-rise Construction

Construction begins on Seattle's Tibet-inspired Potala Tower

The project's developer, Lobsang Dargey, is a former monk from rural Tibet. 


By BD+C Staff | April 16, 2015
Construction begins on Seattle's Potala Tower

The tower is named after Potala Palace in the Tibetan mountains, former home of the Dalai Lama. Renderings courtesy Lobsang Dargey / Weber Thompson

Construction on the 41-story Potala Tower in Seattle finally kicked off following a ground-breaking ceremony seven months ago. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the luxury apartment and hotel project is located in downtown Seattle, with PCL Construction serving as the general contractor.

The project's developer, Lobsang Dargey, is a former monk from rural Tibet. He organized the memorable ground-breaking in late August, which included prayers and chanting by monks at a nearby transmission repair shop that was later demolished. 

The cost of the project, designed by Seattle-based Weber Thompson, totals $190 million. Overseas financing through Path America will help fund the construction of this "modern sanctuary," as the project team calls it. The tower will house 142 hotel rooms, 340 apartment units, and a restaurant.

Potala Tower is scheduled for completion in 2017. 

 

Related Stories

| Jul 1, 2013

LEGOLAND builds 12-foot replica of One World Trade Center

The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester in Yonkers, N.Y., celebrated the completion of a LEGO replica of One World Trade Center by lighting the 12-foot-tall, 100-pound model.

| Jun 25, 2013

Mirvish, Gehry revise plans for triad of Toronto towers

A trio of mixed-use towers planned for an urban redevelopment project in Toronto has been redesigned by planners David Mirvish and Frank Gehry. The plan was announced last October but has recently been substantially revised.

| Jun 25, 2013

First look: Herzog & de Meuron's Jade Signature condo tower in Florida

Real estate developer Fortune International has released details of its new Jade Signature property, to be developed in Sunny Isles Beach near Miami. The luxury waterfront condo building will include 192 units in a 57-story building near high-end retail destinations and cultural venues.  

| Jun 17, 2013

First look: Austin to get first high-rise since 2003

Developer Cousins Properties broke ground on the 29-story Colorado Tower in downtown Austin, Texas, the city's first high-rise building since Cousins' completed the Frost Bank Tower a decade ago.

| Jun 11, 2013

Vertical urban campus fills a tall order [2013 Building Team Award winner]

Roosevelt University builds a 32-story tower to satisfy students’ needs for housing, instruction, and recreation.

| Jun 11, 2013

Finnish elevator technology could facilitate supertall building design

KONE Corporation has announced a new elevator technology that could make it possible for supertall buildings to reach new heights by eliminating several problems of existing elevator technology. The firm's new UltraRope hoisting system uses a rope with a carbon-fiber core and high-friction coating, rather than conventional steel rope.

| Jun 4, 2013

SOM research project examines viability of timber-framed skyscraper

In a report released today, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill discussed the results of the Timber Tower Research Project: an examination of whether a viable 400-ft, 42-story building could be created with timber framing. The structural type could reduce the carbon footprint of tall buildings by up to 75%.

| May 23, 2013

Supertall 'Sky City' will house 4,400 families in Changsha, China

Broad Sustainable Building has completed a long and arduous approval process, and is starting excavation and construction on Sky City in June, 2013. The proposed "world's tallest building" will be a mixed-use project that could accommodate life and work needs of up to 30,000 people.

| May 7, 2013

First look: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill skyscraper designed to 'confuse the wind'

The 400-meter-high, 116-story Imperial Tower in Mumbai will feature a slender, rounded form optimized to withstand the area's strong wind currents.

| May 6, 2013

7 major multifamily residential projects in the works

A $140 million redevelopment of a landmark, 45-building apartment complex in Los Angeles is among the nation's significant multifamily developments under way.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021