June 29, 2018

Review board divided on Vulcan's ‘two-tower' design for new tower

Renderings by Ankrom Moisan [enlarge]

Ankrom Moisan says tension between 5th & Lenora tower’s two different forms creates “dynamic contrast.”

[enlarge]

The tower and pedestal design shows trays that shift and twist like stones in a waterfall.

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The review board expressed concerns about integrating the dark, straight tower (on the right) with the sliding trays.

After the April design review for its planned 44-story 5th & Lenora tower, Vulcan Real Estate did not expect to have a third meeting. However another review has been set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 10 at City Hall, 600 5th Ave., Room 190.

The site is at 2025 Fifth Ave. in Belltown.

The basic program by architect Ankrom Moisan is about the same: 463 units, 315 parking spaces on seven underground levels and about 3,300 square feet of retail/commercial space. Total rentable area is 478,000 square feet, and the total size is about 620,000 square feet.

What's at issue, says Ankrom Moisan, is that the “board was split on the resolution of the two-tower concept.”

There is only one tower, of course. But the “two-tower” scheme divides it into two vertical aspects: one with brighter silver cladding and stepped “trays” facing east toward Fifth; the other darker and more vertical, with less relief or modulation, facing west toward the alley, the Warwick Hotel and Elliott Bay

The board report issued in May says, “The majority of the members thought the concept needed more integration between the two tower forms… while two members were satisfied with design as shown. The design question on the table was the integration of the dark, straight tower and the sliding trays tower forms.”

Ankrom Moisan says the tension between the two forms creates “dynamic contrast.” Another design cue is the “cascade” effect, meaning that the tower and pedestal have trays that shift and twist like the stones in a waterfall. These also create landscaped terraces on the lower floors.

The cascade and terraces would be most apparent to a pedestrian standing outside the Palace Ballroom, looking southwest at the silvery Fifth and Lenora corner of Vulcan's tower. Monorail passengers would have the same view. To the west, on the alley, the 18-story Warwick presents a blank facade, with no windows. From a boat on Elliott Bay, 5th & Lenora would appear to be more of a charcoal color.

For the upcoming July meeting, Ankrom Moisan is offering three responses to the divided board. First, the same design from April. Second, extend the silvery trays west, to reduce the contrast. Third, lose the charcoal color, and make the building uniformly silver.

Two possible treatments for the roof deck are also being presented, with relatively minor differences.

Vulcan paid about $27.4 million to assemble the 19,434-square-foot site on the southwest corner of Fifth and Lenora Street. Vulcan intends for 5th & Lenora to achieve LEED platinum certification, and meet salmon-safe certification. The project is proceeding under Mandatory Housing Affordability rules, yielding four extra floors for a $4.2 million fee. The tower would have been only 40 floors without MHA.

Since planning and site assembly began in 2016 for 5th & Lenora, plans for a new neighbor to the south have begun to emerge. Chainqui Development is planning a 44-story tower at 2005 Fifth Ave., on the corner of Virginia Street. The podium for Chainqui's tower, designed by GWest, will be 16 feet from Vulcan's.

Chainqui had requested approval for the tower separation to be only 60 feet instead of 80 above the podium. In its December report, the design review board denied that request.

Chainqui also must preserve the facades of the Sheridan Apartments and Griffin Building, further complicating its plans. Vulcan, by contrast, is building on parking lots and removing the old Nara Grill building.

Vulcan's 5th & Lenora team also includes PCL Construction, general contractor; Site Workshop, landscape architect; Coughlin Porter Lundeen, civil and structural engineer; Ecotope, mechanical and plumbing engineer; Rushing, electrical engineer; O'Brien & Co., sustainability consultant; RDH, building envelope; A3 Acoustics; and Fortune Shepler Saling, elevators.