A Seattle Architectural Stroll is Thirsty Work
Welcome to our spur-of-the-moment Seattle mini-break.
This way for architectural geekiness and drinks.
Alexis Hotel (Map letter J)
1007 1st Ave.
Steve found the hotel based on the fact that it had fireplace suites. That we were in the Author`s Suite was just serendipity. As residents of the Pacific Northwest we got a welcome package including free valet parking and a couple of drinks in their `Bookstore Bar & Cafe`. This is how I discovered Sloe Gin Fizzes. Yum.
This may be the most spoiled I've felt in a hotel room. The complementary robes were nutty. The pull-out couch next to the fireplace was a nice touch as we watched tv and the fire. The down pillows were perfectly malleable and soft. It was huge: it had an entrance hall with a closet. And I was digging the bookshelves and literary portraits: Wilde, Hemingway, Neruda, Tolstoy, Angelou...even John Lennon's lyrics made an appearance.
The Route
Pioneer Building (B)
600 1st Ave.
On our way to our first planned destination, Smith Tower, we passed the Pioneer Building which caught my eye with its contrasting red brick and gray sandstone. Built in 1892, in the Victorian and Romanesque Revival style, the building conformed to the new no-wood rules after the Great Seattle Fire destroyed 25 downtown blocks in 1889. It sits in dominant position at the edge of Pioneer Square Park. The Victorian Iron Pergola is protected under the building's National Register of Historic Places listing.
During the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush, at least 48 different mining firms had offices in the building. It was also home to Seattle's First Speakeasy during Prohibition.
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| Pioneer Square Pergola from sheltertrends.com |
Smith Tower & View (C)
506 2nd Ave.
We headed east on Yesler Way to begin our stroll with a lookout view of Seattle. Because the history and design of the Beaux-Arts Smith Tower, with its neo-gothic pyramid roof, appealed to me, I chose the Smith Tower and it's 35th floor, 360 degree view instead of either the popular Space Needle or the Columbia Center Skyview Observatory which are both taller.
It reminds me of an American country church:
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| Country Church by Roger Potts at Fine Art America |
Built in 1914 by L.C.Smith and his son, it was Seattle's first skyscraper and meant to put the Smith name on the map, in the way skyscrapers in New York made Woolworth and Singer household names. The publicity over the tallest skyscraper outside of New York helped his new typewriter company succeed. It later merged with the Corona Typewriter Company, becoming -- you guessed it -- Smith-Corona.
The ride up to the lookout is in a manual Otis brass elevator with a human operator in livery, a great experience in itself, watching the passing floors through the latticed door. The fee is $7.50 (less than the other two lookouts) and worth it for the amazing views from all sides on the outside balcony. I could see the Space Needle down 2nd Ave. in the above shot, and learned of the existence of Seattle's Great Wheel on the waterfront (more later).
You can check out most of the 35th floor which consists almost totally of the Chinese Room, boasting an amazingly ornate carved teak ceiling inset with porcelain discs. There is also an enormous elevator motor in its own room. Then you notice a "private residence" sign in a cordoned off area, and recall that there are 3 more floors above you in the pyramid, which sets you wondering and daydreaming.
Who Lives in the Tower Penthouse?: Making a Home in a Pyramid, 462 Feet Above Seattle
Arctic Building (D)
700 3rd Ave.
From Smith Tower, it was north up 2nd Ave. and right on Cherry Street.
Seattle has had a few elite clubs in its history, and one of the more colourful ones is the Arctic Club. Formed in the latter 19th century by newly wealthy men returning from the Klondike Gold Rush, the Club gave them a social gathering place where they could share their tales of the north with like-minded Seattleites, and plan new exploits.
In 1916 the Arctic Club built the Arctic Building in the Beaux-Arts style, popular in the day in Seattle. The facade is a cream white terra cotta (like Smith Tower), popular at this time because it reflected light in the grey Pacific Northwest, countering drabness. The Arctic Building is spectacular because the architect went a step further and added submarine blue and orange-brown accents along with the 27 walrus-heads lining the third floor, in keeping with the club's name. The building is newly renovated and currently houses a luxury Hilton hotel.
From here we continued down Cherry Street and turned left for a long walk north along 4th Ave. with plenty of cool buildings from many eras and styles to stop and gawk at. As I took a last look back at Smith Tower, I saw a monstrosity of a box with diagonal detailing all over. I had to take a picture and figure out later if this was a brutalist "gem":
King County Administration Building
500 4th Ave.
Built in 1971, it was soon after voted the ugliest government building in the US. The connecting "bridges" are to the jail and courthouse. There is lots of talk about replacing the building with something new.
Matt Hagen highlights the little-loved building as "a good design moment" in his design blog.
Dan Cole has got an awesome close-up picture of the hexagon pattern beneath the diamond lattice on his blog, dankhole.
4th Avenue
Even though we strolled in the opposite direction, I'm going to briefly cover the 4th Ave. buildings that caught my eye from west to east, just cuz my organisational side doesn't like putting the buildings on the wrong side of each other. Just makes more sense to me visually, since most were on the northeast side of the street.
Times Square Building (E)
414 Olive Way
Built in 1912 in the Beaux-Arts style for the Seattle Times newspaper, the building sits on its own triangular block in the interesting flatiron shape. I love that Seattle has many mature pine trees right downtown tying the city to its geography.
Rainier Tower
1301 5th Ave.
One of Seattle's safest building, it was designed in 1977 to withstand a severe earthquake. The 11-story, concrete pedestal base that tapers like an upside-down pyramid eliminates the "canyon effect" of strong winds common in downtowns with many high rises. If you've ever been to Winnipeg, you'll be familiar with this.
The unique diminishing base has also earned the Rainier Tower the nicknames "wine glass" and "pencil". My favourite is the "Beaver Building" looking like it will be felled with one more good chomp.
The Financial Center
1215 4th Ave.
This steel & concrete skyscraper was completed in 1972 in the Modernist style. Has a touch of brutalism with its weighty form and stained concrete.
Seattle Tower
1218 3rd Ave.
On the same block, and sharing a side entrance approach with The Financial Center, the Art Deco Seattle Tower building was built by the Northern Life Insurance Company and nicknamed the Northern Lights Building. It was the first to surpass the height of the Smith Tower when it was built in 1929.
Seattle Central Library
1000 4th Ave.
I was bummed we were here before opening hours, as I missed out on seeing the illuminated chartreuse escalator.
Opened in 2004, the new library has a steel frame in diamond patterns and continuous glass with many floating platforms creating a unique geometric shape. Its bold design has received mixed reviews, but many are overwhelmingly positive.
Rainier Club Building
810 4th Ave.
Founded in 1888 and still existing today, the Rainier Club has been housed at this location since 1904. Seattle`s preeminent private club with about 1300 members was built in the Tudor & Jacobethan Revival Styles. Jacobethan is a mixed English Renaissance, Elizabethan & Jacobean revival style that is currently most familiar from the Downton Abbey setting of Highclere Castle.The Rainier Club building is modeled after the Jacobean Aston Hall just outside Birmingham, England.
I love the contrast between the Rainier Club and the Columbia Center soaring above it next door.
Columbia Center
701 5th Ave.
Built in 1985, Seattle`s tallest skyscraper is made distinctive by its three interlocking concave facades. One of the original plans for the attacks on September 11, 2001 was to highjack 12 planes on both coasts and fly them into the tallest & most significant buildings in the country, including the Columbia Center.
The Sky View Observatory on the 73rd floor boasts "the tallest public view on the west coast" for $12.50. Other than the view, the "deck" seems pretty dull and is all inside, so the view is through windows. I'm glad we went with Smith Tower.
The Columbia Center has been creatively dubbed "the box the Space Needle came in" by Seattleites.
When we reached the Times Square Building on 4th Ave., we headed left towards the water on Stewart St. to Pike Place in search of refreshment.
Pike Place Market
The First Starbucks (F)
1912 Pike Place Market
I normally shun Starbucks (except for a Frappuccino obsession about 8 years ago) for the radically cheaper and tastier AND patriotic Timmy Ho's. But since we were in Starbucks' founding city, it seemed somehow wrong to not have the car trip and walkabout catered by Starbucks. I discovered their lattes are actually quite nice.
Across from the Fish Market and just to the north of it we found the "original" Starbucks store. Steve is waiting for our lattes while I snap this pic, like about 5 other people do as we're waiting.
While Starbucks opened in 1971 at 2000 Western Avenue, it moved in 1976 to its current location where it has remained. It's got a different feel to the usual Starbucks, retaining its original look without tables. The staff were very lively and obviously used to lots of tourists and crowds, while loudly recognizing regulars and knowing their orders.
Pike Place Market (G)
85 Pike Street
We walked around the market on a Sunday evening and an early Monday morning so missed some crowds and stores being open, but not all of them.
Other than finding the restaurant we were coming back to eat at that night, the highlight for me at the Market was a bit strange...
Il Bistro Ristorante (G)
93A Pike Street
This is where we decided to eat after wandering around and reading tons of menu cards. We were both looking forward to trying it out later and headed back to the hotel to freshen up (after a stop at the Waterfront).
It turned out to be a great choice. As it was a Sunday night the restaurant was very quiet but that made the service superb, and we certainly felt in no rush at all. Steve had the grilled halibut with asparagus and potatoes in a delicious tomato caper salsa, and I had the orechiette (small ear-shaped pasta) with chicken, peas and mint in a romano cream sauce. The mint worked really well. Paired with wine and scotch, we both loved our meals.
Seattle Great Wheel & Fisherman's Restaurant & Bar (H)
1301 Alaskan Way
Our final stop was to get down to the water and check out the new giant Ferris wheel at Pier 57 on Elliott Bay. I find it a real shame that downtown Seattle is divided from its waterfront by the Alaskan Way Viaduct. There is a double-decker highway to get under to enjoy a waterfront stroll. Ugh. Vancouver narrowly averted building downtown highways. It would now be a lot less visually appealing and livable if the plan wasn't vehemently opposed by the affected residents.
Only recently built in 2012, the Great Wheel has 42 fully-enclosed observation gondolas, which is a smart idea in rainy Seattle. We didn't take a spin, instead finding a seat on the top patio of the pier's Fisherman's Restaurant. The view of Elliott Bay and all the ferries coming and going across Puget Sound was great in the sun.
It's a good thing we knew where we were eating 'cuz the Fish and Chips smelled mouth-watering. I believe Steve had a pint of Rainier and I enjoyed a well-earned Bacardi Coke since there's no Havana Club in America...or perhaps I had two.
Seattle Art Museum (I)
Finally, on our way back to the hotel, we stopped to check out the iconic Hammering Man outside the SAM. Since 1992 he has been a recognizable symbol of Seattle. The arm of the kinetic sculpture hammers 4 times per minute. As a symbol of "the worker" he gets to take evenings and every Labor Day off.
Living in Vancouver, I only associated the Hammering Man with Seattle and didn't know that there are many others in Frankfurt, Seoul, Basel, Lillestrom, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Minneapolis and Washington, DC. The Frankfurt Hammering Man was donated by a citizen's group against neo-nazism.
The artist's goal has been realised: to have several sculptures simultaneously "working" throughout the world, to unite many societies, all of which revere the worker.
"The Hammering Man is the worker in all of us." - Jonathan Borofsky, the artist
. . .
Before we headed back to Vancouver, we took a quick drive to Alki Beach Park. We stopped for a sandwich on a park bench at Duwamish Head the northernmost point of West Seattle and enjoyed the skyline view of the city. As well as an adventurous Stand-Up Paddleboarder, we had fun watching a seal whenever its head popped up.
Now, like the good neighbours we are, its off to the outlet mall to help out the American economy...
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