Life Sciences

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2023

Block 46

client

Vulcan Real Estate

type

Life Sciences

location

Seattle, WA

Commercial

235,000 SF

Retail

9,000 SF

Respectful Reuse

Known most recently as the City Hardware Building, this historic site was originally owned by the prominent Denny family and has had many lives since its construction as a Sand & Gravel warehouse in 1927. Designated a landmark by the City of Seattle, keeping the building’s presence alive and relevant in the community was a design objective from day one. Joining the historic corner lot with its southern neighbor, the combined property seeks to capitalize on development potential while still respecting the existing structure. Removing years of paint, the original concrete structure and industrial sash windows laid the design foundation for the new tower.

Designed to accommodate Life Science tenants, the angled facades, stepped massing, and contrasting materials of glass and metal panels of the new tower play foil to the historic concrete structure, pushing the overall development composition forward while honoring the past.

S eattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood is internationally known as a hub for Life Science Research. Block 46 caters to this need with additional floor-to-floor height and lowered windowsills that allow for increased mechanical plenum space while enhancing natural light penetration on each floor. These design elements in conjunction with a highly flexible and efficient floorplate allow the building to adapt over time to the needs of the ever-evolving Life Science marketplace.

Responding to the pedestrian development across the street, Block 46’s primary mid-block entry sets back from the sidewalk and is accessed by a wooden bridge stretching over a recessed “green plaza” populated with a mix of vegetation and site-specific art. To the north, the second floor of the new tower opens to a roof terrace atop the landmark building, interweaving old and new design elements.