To avoid disturbing this landmarked structure, Populous ended up with a 180-foot-long tunnel underneath the building, leading directly to the arena.Ĭlimate Pledge Arena is now the first in North America with complete 360-degree pedestrian access, allowing visitors to explore around the entire arena while never losing sight of what’s inside. Across the street from the arena resides the Bressi Garage - one of Seattle’s few architectural survivors of the early automobile age - and the only feasible entrance for trucks and other service vehicles. When designing this tunnel, our team came across another historic structure. Loading docks are a key component in attracting the biggest and best concerts on the road, so Populous decided a tunnel was the most effective design option. The 44-million-pound roof was then reconnected to its new permanent footings, an architectural and engineering feat.Ī parallel challenge was designing loading docks for a belowground venue that would not cut off pedestrian accessibility to the arena. Workers carved out nearly a million tons of dirt beneath to make room for the new arena’s expanded footprint, built well beyond the dripline of the historic roof above. Populous’ design was transformed into reality by Thornton Tomasetti as it led the herculean effort to demolish the roof’s original foundations and create a temporary structure to suspend the roof in a floating state. This work demanded an innovative design approach and the team had to dig deep - literally. Our team collaborated tirelessly with a robust team - developers Oak View Group, builders Mortenson, engineers Thornton Tomasetti and ME Engineers, landscape architects Swift Company, architects DLR Group and the City of Seattle - to preserve the roof and glass façade, create a picturesque landscaped urban park and double the size of the venue. Our team also set out to nearly double the size of the former arena to 740,00 square feet, with the capacity to house more than 2 million people each year, between sports, concerts and shows. The project presented an opportunity to link local neighborhoods, restore the relationship between the surrounding plazas and the building, and increase accessibility within the campus. Our design was centered around revitalizing the original design by Paul Thiry - the father of architectural modernism in the Pacific Northwest - from its 59-year-old roof to its flat-floor, column-free pavilion.
#Climate pledge arena series
Although the original Washington State Pavilion has undergone a series of renovations over the decades, its roof and curtain walls of glass have remained, gaining local and federal landmark status in 2017.Īs Architect of Record for Climate Pledge Arena, our team embarked on this project with ambitious objectives of preserving the site’s rich history and creating a space that meets the needs of Seattle residents long into the future. The original facility sat on the 1962 World’s Fair fairgrounds, known today as Seattle Center - a campus teeming with civic icons like the Space Needle.
The new Climate Pledge Arena, with its revolutionary sustainable design, builds on nearly six decades of history in Seattle.
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