A 90-foot-wide glass exhibition bridge will be a unique feature framing views to Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains and the downtown skyline. A shimmering block-long glass canopy will create a striking new public space. The existing building occupies a challenging site that spans Interstate 5 and links the downtown retail and hotel core to adjacent residential neighborhoods via Freeway Park.

The expansion site, located immediately north of the existing facility, anchors the recent eastward expansion of Seattle’s downtown retail and entertainment core. The site also provides a pivot point for several private co-developments, including a 400-room hotel and retail development located above the expanded lobby.

In order to meet the objective of providing contiguous heavy-load exhibit space, the 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall expansion will be physically connected to the existing facility over Pike Street via two distinct street crossings: a vehicular bridge to accommodate loading and exhibit servicing, and a pedestrian bridge that will provide a connection to the expanded lobby. The lobby expansion will relocate the primary public entry of the facility to the heart of the downtown retail core.

New public space will accentuate the civic nature of the facility, as the transparent materials used in the covered pedestrian bridge will provide views into the active spaces of the surrounding facilities and the sky above.