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Wow. I hadn't planned on posting another photo of this, but since every commenter yesterday panned the architecture of the unfinished buildings of the new Amazon.com campus in the Cascade / South Lake Union neighborhood, I thought it only fair to show a shot of one of the finished buildings in the development. Perhaps when the detail work is complete on all the buildings the design will not seem as severely lacking as the impression you got from the distance photos of the partially constructed structures. Then again. . . :-). You like the dog, right? The dog's cute. Admit it! :-).
This is a west elevation along Terry Street and the pedestrian is crossing over the streetcar tracks. Thanks to Joshua for this link which explains the architect's intention for the buildings to imitate the feel of an historic warehouse being preserved across Terry Street. We continue today and tomorrow with clear blue skies and 75 F temps. Hope you are having an equally fine start to a lovely weekend.
This is a west elevation along Terry Street and the pedestrian is crossing over the streetcar tracks. Thanks to Joshua for this link which explains the architect's intention for the buildings to imitate the feel of an historic warehouse being preserved across Terry Street. We continue today and tomorrow with clear blue skies and 75 F temps. Hope you are having an equally fine start to a lovely weekend.
14 comments:
Thanks for an up-close-and-personal Amazon shot with the cute dog! I'll check this place out on my next trip.
I still have Joni Mitchell's 'Anima Rising' tune going through my head, installed there by your Wednesday post!
Yup. The dog is cute.
«Louis» still feels Amazon missed an opportunity to do something distinctive (not to say outrageous or trendy) architecturally with this important project. This is their flagship. Why have they chosen to fly their flag at half-mast?
Yup, the dog is cute. The building...not so much.
Bibi, that is so funny that you picked that up. . . as the title was inspired by the similar Joni title. :-).
Louis, The buildings are not owned or being built by Amazon.com, but are a joint venture between Paul Allen's Vulcan development real estate company and another company whose name escapes me. They are building the place with Amazon.com specifically in mind, but the buildings will be leased, not owned by Amazon. I don't know how much input into the exterior features of the design Amazon may have had.
-Kim
Brattcat took my exact words! Who pays these architects for this stuff anyway? My five year old grandson could build that box with Legos!
V
For better or worse, the architecture is deliberately "a modern interpretation of the warehouse":
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004330252_terryavenue060.html
I guess it's supposed to be symbolic of Amazon as a sort of online warehouse. Phase 1 also incorporates the old brick Frederick and Nelson warehouse called the Van Vorst Building.
And honestly... can any architect today match the PacMed building anyway?
Oh, and the other company is Schnitzer West who over the past decade has brought Seattle many other ugly buildings, though to be fair they usually do a decent job on the street level.
Thanks Joshua! Speaking of doing well at street level design, do you know who designed the UW Medical Research building across form Glazers? I like the public spaces of that one a lot.
I have to say that my visitors who've commented are well educated and thoughtful folks who've traveled the world. They aren't, however, familiar with the Cascade neighborhood and its unique mix of housing, light industry, and commercial buildings. I wonder what their comments would be on most of the Belltown condo developments :-).
-Kim
The dog is great! I can't say the SLU architecture is inspiring, though. Very vanilla and utilitarian, IMHO.
Sorry about pre-empting your Tea shop post -:))
Hi Kim, the UW Medcine complex was done by MBT Architecture, now part of Perkins+Will. However I wouldn't be surprised if the courtyard was actually done by a separate landscape architecture firm since MBT specialized in scientific interiors.
You're right about the neighborhood context... a couple of local National Register landmark buildings are in fact warehouses!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seattle_-_old_Ford_assembly_plant_02.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seattle_-_Cornish_-_1000_Lenora_01.jpg
Of course we all like the dog. haha
My Mother is feeling pretty much back to normal. She is spry and agile. I came home today but will go back and spend more time with her. MB
Well I like the dog. And I love Amazon. Perhaps they are not spending fortunes on the building so we, the customers, get better value!
Kim, thanks SO much for recent comments. Forgive me for not commenting much lately. I've friends staying for two months, they are working on the house - well we all are - time seems to have gone somewhere else.
A relative small amount of real estate considering the HUGE number of transactions. Nothing "virtual" about his spot. Thank you for your photo journalism today!
Jan
GDP
Well, with all that (!), all I have is one little question: what's now in the wonderful Beacon Hill building? thanks, by the way, for your continuing chronicle of the ongoing building of the amazon amazon!
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