Architects describe Amazon’s proposed Seattle campus as an ‘urban room’ with ‘sun pockets’ – GeekWire

by John Cook

Amazon.com’s ambitious plans to erect three massive 37-story office towers in the Denny Triangle area of downtown Seattle isn’t about building a corporate campus, it’s about building a neighborhood. At least that’s the view of NBBJ’s John Savo, the architect for Amazon.com.

In front of standing room only crowd Tuesday night at City Hall, Savo addressed members of Seattle’s Planning Commission about a project that has the possibility to transform the city by connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood to the downtown retail core around Westlake Park.

Throughout his remarks, Savo stressed the importance of making the space accessible to the public, highlighting the importance of pocket parks, artwork, retail storefronts and green spaces that “emphasize the pedestrian.” In that regard, Savo described the overall project as an “urban room.”

“It is very important if we are going to treat this truly as open space that people feel invited into the spaces,” Savo said. If all goes as planned, the entire project could take up to eight years to build in three phases.

vía Architects describe Amazon’s proposed Seattle campus as an ‘urban room’ with ‘sun pockets’ – GeekWire.

 Amazon’s architects offer some details on towers, skybridges

The online retailer could take up to eight years to complete its proposed three-block high-rise project, the largest development ever proposed downtown.

By Eric Pryne

Seattle Times business reporter

Amazon.com‘s proposed three-block high-rise office complex in Seattle’s Denny Triangle could take as long as eight years to finish, a project architect revealed Tuesday night.

The blocks would be developed in phases, one block at a time, with two to four years between each phase, John Savo of NBBJ told the city’s Downtown Design Review Board.

Amazon’s proposed timing was among the new details that surfaced at the review board’s first meeting to consider the preliminary design of the complex, at 3.3 million square feet the largest development ever proposed downtown.

The block closest to downtown — between Sixth, Seventh and Westlake avenues and Virginia and Lenora streets — probably would be developed first, he added.

More than 100 people crowded into the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall to hear presentations from Savo and Dale Alberda, another project architect.

No Amazon official spoke.

Images: Amazon’s tower plan, Seattle’s new skyline

Posted by Brier Dudley

Here are renderings of the three towers and campus that Amazon wants to build in downtown Seattle, giving the company its first company-owned headquarters facility.

These images are renderings submitted to the city for design review yesterday.

The submission also lists special consideration the company’s seeking to deviate from city design codes, but I’ll bet the city will be fairly compliant given the rare prospect of a leading tech company creating a new downtown headquarters. Especially if there are plenty of bike racks.

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