March 30, 2016

Design review is April 5 for 2+U, Skanska's office tower on Second

Images by Pickard Chilton Architects [enlarge]

Giant columns supporting the tower would allow open space at street level for restaurants, retail and pedestrians.

[enlarge]

Skanska describes the Second and Union site as “one of the most strategic downtown locations to become available in decades.”

A Seattle design review board will give recommendations next week for 2+U, a 38-story office tower planned for downtown Seattle.

The board will hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. April 5 at Seattle City Hall, Room L280.

Skanska USA Commercial Development wants to build the tower at 1201 Second Ave., just south of Seattle Art Museum and Russell Investments Center.

Skanska describes the site as “one of the most strategic downtown locations to become available in decades” because of its proximity to the waterfront, Pike Place Market and the central business district.

Skanska has a 99-year ground lease for the property, which is owned by Samis Foundation.

Pickard Chilton Architects of New Haven, Connecticut, is the design architect, and Kendall/Heaton Associates of Houston is the project architect. Swift Co. is the landscape architect, and Graham Baba Architects is designing the retail.

The building would have 671,000 square feet of office space and 18,500 square feet of retail. Underground parking for 476 vehicles is also planned.

The site encompasses most of the block bounded by First and Second avenues, and Seneca and University streets. The four-story Diller Hotel at First and University has a different owner and will remain.

The base of the tower is designed to be lined with restaurants and retail spaces. Giant columns supporting the tower would allow open space at street level where restaurants can offer covered outdoor seating and pedestrians can cut through the block.

The tower would hover above, with standard-size office levels starting at the seventh floor.

Architects have designed a number of stairways to help pedestrians navigate the sloped site. Public space also includes a central plaza and an overlook terrace along Seneca.

Skanska is seeking a partial alley vacation to allow for the public space. Part of the alley would remain as a turnaround space for service vehicles.

A quirk in zoning allows the height limit on Second Avenue to be higher than the height limit on First Avenue, so the tower would have a stepped appearance, similar to Russell Investments tower next door. The First Avenue side of 2+U would have a rooftop deck on the 19th floor.

The last design review meeting was in May 2015, according to the Department of Construction & Inspections.

There have been a number of refinements to the design, such as a reduction in floor-to-floor heights (13.5 feet instead of 14 feet) and a revision of the tower's crown to have more presence along Second Avenue.

The project team is seeking 10 different design departures that deal with topics such as setbacks, open space, covered weather protection and facade heights.

Construction is slated to finish in 2019. The tower is being designed to meet LEED gold standards.