[DJC]
[design '96]

HARBOR STEPS HELPS COMPLETE A CITY

BY DAVID HEWITT
Hewitt Isley

Harbor Steps has been the dream of Stimson Bullitt and Harbor Development for over two decades.

That dream includes the steps themselves and surrounding housing. The steps are a linkage and catalyst for the neighborhood and for the adjacent buildings, which have always been conceived of as quality rental housing for a wide range of incomes in the center of Seattle.

Phase One of Harbor Steps, which includes the West Tower, contains 270,000 square feet, including parking and l67 apartments. Phase Two, the East Tower, contains 484,000 square feet including parking and 305 apartments and inn units. Apartments range from studios to penthouse suites with high-quality finishes.

This article is about the forces that have shaped the project so far, as Phase Two nears completion.

When Hewitt Isley became involved in the design of the project in l990, there was a clear directive from Stimson Bullitt that it was to be an honest and direct response to the program and the neighborhood -- without architectural affectation or
Harbor Steps, Phase Two, nears completion.
embellishment. It was to draw upon the opportunities of the site and its own composition to create qualities of lasting value.

What a fresh idea after the 1980s, with its legacy of icons dotting Seattle's landscape.

There could hardly be a more provocative urban site. On the south is the Seneca off-ramp, but also the Alexis Hotel. The north edge was, of course, the steps, as designed by Arthur Erickson. They are a beautiful linkage between First and Western, but also a promise of continuity to the waterfront and a real connection to the east with the Seattle Art Museum and the new Symphony Hall -- a literal crossroad between the Market and Pioneer Square, and the cultural spine to the water.

The character of First Avenue is one of the best in the city: housing, hotel, retail and entertainment (of all sorts) achieved without gentrification. Western Avenue is equally interesting, with more of an industrial history and architecture of directness and clarity.

The first two phases of the project are south of the steps, bisected by a continuation of Post Alley from the Market.

Post Alley, with its romantic and complex nature, had to be recognized and treated in a manner differing from Western and First. Which brings us to the final exterior element of Harbor Steps -- the garden open space between Phase One and Phase Two. It serves as the "back yard" for the residence and an urban open space for the public. The garden connects the two phases visually but allows Post Alley to pass through. Two pedestrian bridges (one private, one public) cross over Post, providing further linkages from Western to First.

The topography of the court represents the site. The east court steps to accommodate the hill and connects the plainer court of Phase One. Large steel trellises will physically connect the two and provide support for the landscape material. The trellises also soften the view of the Seneca off-ramp from mid-level of the steps and add to the romance of Post Alley.

Each building has a setback at the lower level to conform to view corridor requirements. Their scale and architecture relate to existing, surrounding structures and place the large structure frame on the street, particularly in the East Tower, where the high rise building is set back for a wider sidewalk and an auto layby.

The elevator core is brought to the street face of each structure, which enlivens the facade and provides daylight to the lobbies. The two-story-high structural frame is complemented by the massive shear walls at the north and south edges of the high rise portions. The two work together to resolve the structure and to create identifying architectural form and articulation.

The East Tower, now under construction, will have structural frame setbacks to reveal transparent edges as the building meets the sky.

Color has been used to relate the buildings to context at the street level. The light gray frame of West Tower (Phase one) will be complemented by the dark gray on the East Tower, thereby creating a dialogue between the structures across the central garden.

Watch for the completion of current construction activity on the East Tower this spring.

David Hewitt FAIA is a partner with Hewitt Isley. Hewitt Isley was design consultant to the Callison Partnership for the West Tower of Harbor Steps and is the architect of record for the East Tower.

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Copyright © 1996 Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.