The Frye Art Museum is expanding, but not in the way you might think. The First Hill museum announced plans to develop a parking lot it owns at Terry and Cherry into a 450 unit, mixed-use project. The project faces its first design review Wednesday night.
Promises to create a “canvas” within the “emerging culture of First Hill” remain to be seen, but plans for a new two-tower development would certainly standout amid the neighborhood’s rising skyline. The designs from Seattle architecture firm Perkins+Will calls for two towers that lean away from each other as they rise 33 stories high and connect at the top by a thin walkway.
Plans for the Westbank Frye Highrise include 5,500 square feet of commercial space and underground parking for 250 vehicles. The unique design also has a less aesthetic rationale: complying with zoning requirements for space between towers above a certain height. Developer Westbank takes its first turn before the East Design Review Board Wednesday night.
707 Terry Ave
Design Review Early Design Guidance to allow 450 residential units above 5,500 sq. ft. of commercial space. Parking will be provided for 250 vehicles below grade. / View Design Proposal (PDF)
Review Meeting: January 27, 2016 6:30pm, Seattle University, 1000 E. James Way, STCN- Student Center 210 Multipurpose Room
Review Phase: EDG–Early Design Guidance
Project Number: 3021510 View Permit Status | View Land Use Notice
Planner: Holly Godard
As part of the agreement with Westbank, Frye will reportedly own some of the apartments in the building to support the museum. The parking garage will include spaces for museum goers, though it may not remain free. David Buck, president of the Frye board, said the museum will benefit in other ways as well.
“Increased residential density will generate more visitors and supporters for the museum,” Buck said in a statement. “Our active engagement with the project developer will help guide responsible development in our neighborhood.”
Drawing artistic inspiration from its museum ties, the “creative tension” design is Westbanks’s preferred concept above two other more traditional options. It also includes an idea for some elaborate sounding mesh paneling.
The tension of the forms create a unique harmony, yet brings excitement to the site. The cladding of the building, a series of shoji screen, represents a canvas – a simple “warp” and “weft” woven together to create a framework. As the screens the are shifted, new patterns begin to emerge, creating an artful representation of urban living.
In its design packet, the Vancouver, BC-based developers tout their commitment to incorporating public art into their projects and say they envision adding multi-story gallery spaces and pedestrian improvements along Terry Ave. A restaurant/cafe tenant is envisioned to occupy the southeast corner of the building.
Before you get too excited about the relatively radical concept for the project, a moderation of the lean wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a kinda crazy design for a First Hill tower simplified through the design process. Here’s what the early design for the Luma building looked like, for example. On the right is how the building ended up being built.
Another Broadstone project
Meanwhile, a second Broadstone project on James is up for what could be its final design review pass. The 1050 James project from the busy development corporation will be just down the street from an 8-story, 330-unit Broadstone project reviewed earlier this month. The 1050 version designed by Encore Architects “will add residential density to an underutilized site in the burgeoning First Hill Neighborhood,” the packet declares.
1050 James Street
Land Use Application to allow a 7-story structure containing 74 apartment units. Parking for 31 vehicles is to be provided below grade./ View Design Proposal (63 MB)
January 27, 2016 8:00pm
STCN- Student Center 210 Multipurpose Room
Holly Godard
The Frye and the Broadstone projects come amid a continued busy slate of development on First Hill including the 16-story Broadway Whole Foods building and the 17-story apartment tower set to replace the First Hill McDonald’s.
This is cool. No doubt this won’t be everybody’s cup of tea– but good for them for doing something other than the usual boring stacked boxes configuration.
I’m still bummed how much the design review board watered down the Luma design. They should be doing everything they can to encourage and nurture architectural creativity! Protecting against thoughtless design (which is what they should be doing) is way different than shooting down out-of-the-box ideas that could contribute a lot to our city’s architectural character. Let’s hope they embrace this opportunity to right the wrongs of Luma.
Why did they water it down? That original design looks great. Is there coverage of the details there available anywhere?
Needs more orange or blue corrugated metal.
Sincerely,
Every single new building on Capitol Hill
I like it – something different, yet not too too different. Also nice to see some taller buildings on First Hill that aren’t senior homes or assisted living facilities. FH is a good location for those that don’t want to live IN the mayhem of Pike/Pine in Capitol Hill, but want to be closeby everything.