April 6, 2022

Silverstein polishes design for 44-story tower in Denny Triangle

Renderings by Handel Architects [enlarge]

The 45th floor, with terrace, will be all amenity space.

[enlarge]

The full body view looks north up Westlake.

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The tower base is depicted looking southeast, with Eighth in the foreground.

Silverstein Properties and Handel Architects likely have one more design review ahead for the planned tower at 801 Blanchard St. in the Denny Triangle. The latest design proposal for their 44-story, 418-unit apartment project, to be cantilevered over the Butcher's Table building — which Silverstein owns — is well advanced.

The developer has applied for phased construction permits. A master use permit application was initiated in October, though the Mandatory Housing Affordability payment hasn't yet been calculated for a project to total around 500,749 square feet — parking included.

Shoring and excavation might begin next winter, based on the schedule for permit applications. The demolition permit application hasn't yet begun, but will be a snap: The project is replacing parking lots on the triangular block also bounded by Eighth and Westlake avenues. (The existing Shake Shack property won't be affected.)

There is no local architect of record for 801 Blanchard, since Handel co-founder Glenn Rescalvo is licensed in our state. As for the general contractor, Silverstein didn't respond to a DJC query before deadline.

The team also includes Magnusson Klemencic Associates, structural engineer; Rushing, MEP engineer; KPFF, civil engineer; Berger Partnership, landscape architect; Bush, Roed & Hitchings, surveyor; and McCullough Hill Leary, land use attorney.

Project numbers have budged a little since last summer's design review. Three levels of underground parking will have 57 stalls (reduced nearly by half), to be accessed via car lifts and automated systems. Tenants will have about 326 bike stalls on the second floor, requiring the use of the main elevators. (The ground floor is extremely constrained, with an L-shaped footprint of about 8,210 square feet.)

About 992 square feet of retail/commercial space will face Westlake (that's also reduced). The project will rise about 484 feet, including the 45th floor mechanical level. (The 44th floor will be all amenities, including a 2,524-square-foot terrace.) Fifth-floor terraces will add another 3,049 square feet of outdoor space.

On the residential levels, three through 43, units look to run from one- to three-bedrooms. Sandwiched on the fifth floor will a gym and other amenities.

Handel says that the facade for the tower's upper levels has evolved from undulating to pleated. Design cues for the latter include fractured basalt columns.

Another design touchstone remains the pinwheel. Says Handel, “While maintaining the concept of the pinwheel, we reapproached the expression of the exterior facades by developing two wall textures: the ‘pleated facade' and the ‘framed window facade.' Our objective is to allow each facade to evolve naturally.

“The pleated facade is inspired by and originates from the undulation of the two expressive cantilevers along Westlake Ave; and the framed windows originate from the rigid structural exterior moment frames that support the tower.” Thus, two building faces are pleated, and one has framed windows.

No firm construction schedule has been announced. The Butcher's Table restaurant is expected to remain open for the duration. Owner Kurt Beecher Dammeier sold the entire property to Silverstein two years ago for $17.5 million. The new tower is listed with a nominal value of $215 million.