The new Washington State Convention Center Summit Building—billed as the first high-rise convention center in North America—is on track to complete most of its construction later this year.
Designed by LMN Architects, the 1.5-million-square-foot addition to the Seattle Convention Center occupies four city blocks in the heart of the city’s business and entertainment district. Located among several of Seattle’s densest neighborhoods, the project intends to serve as a connecting hub, with a southeast corner that cantilevers over the adjacent highway.
The building’s vertical organization, along with numerous flexible event spaces that include a 100,000-square-foot hall, aims to provide efficiency and flexibility for a variety of uses, from single large shows to concurrent visitor and community events.
Mixed-Use Towers
The project also includes two mixed-use towers: a 540,000-square-foot office tower and an approximately 400-unit residential tower. The development offers 36,000 square feet of retail space as well as 16,000 square feet of public open space.
The interior spaces feature a 200-foot-tall atrium, as well as an array of sustainable, local, and regional materials. Salvaged wood—some from an old building demolished on site and other wood salvaged from log booms—is featured throughout the building. Local artists from diverse communities are creating over 20 art pieces and installations for the project.
The Summit Building’s community benefits package includes affordable housing, public art, public open space, and infrastructure improvements for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit. The convention center is “more like urban infrastructure than a single building,” according to a statement from LMN Architects. “The project elevates the quality of the urban experience with welcoming community places and experiences, both formal and informal, creating a focus of civic life and identity.”
Owner and developer: Seattle Convention Center
Design architect and architect of record: LMN Architects
MEP engineer: Arup in association with McCleskey Consulting, SN Consulting, and FSi Consulting
Structural engineer: Magnusson Klemencic Associates in association with Carla Keel Group and Lund Opsahl
General contractor/construction manager: Clark/Lewis
Related Stories
Market Data | May 18, 2022
Architecture Billings Index moderates slightly, remains strong
For the fifteenth consecutive month architecture firms reported increasing demand for design services in April, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Building Team | May 18, 2022
Bjarke Ingels-designed KING Toronto releases its final set of luxury penthouses
In April 2020, a penthouse at KING Toronto sold for $16 million, the highest condo sale in Toronto that year or the year after.
Building Team | May 17, 2022
MKA’s Embodied Carbon Action Plan will include reporting on carbon reductions for selected projects
Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) recently released its SE 2050 Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP) for 2022.
University Buildings | May 16, 2022
Yale’s newly renovated Schwarzman Center enriches student campus social life
Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) recently unveiled the design of their restoration of the Schwarzman Center at Yale University, which includes dining spaces, a bar, and a food shop.
K-12 Schools | May 16, 2022
Private faculty offices are becoming a thing of the past at all levels of education
Perkins & Will’s recent design projects are using the area to encourage collaboration.
Codes and Standards | May 16, 2022
AIA releases Justice in the Built Environment guide
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently published a new supplementary edition of the Guides for Equitable Practice, titled “Justice in the Built Environment.”
K-12 Schools | May 16, 2022
A Quaker high school in Maryland is the first in the U.S. to get WELL Gold certification
Designed by Stantec, a Quaker high school is the first in the US to receive WELL Gold certification, which recognizes a commitment to occupants’ health and well-being.
Building Team | May 13, 2022
Glass penthouses rise above Toronto’s tree line
In midtown Toronto, the nine-story midrise building Leaside Common has released its Penthouse Collection: two-floor penthouses that take inspiration from Philip Johnson’s Glass House in Connecticut.
Market Data | May 12, 2022
Monthly construction input prices increase in April
Construction input prices increased 0.8% in April compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today.
Codes and Standards | May 12, 2022
Solar industry creates non-profit to remove barriers to clean energy deployment
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is launching a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to accelerate the transition to carbon-free electricity.
