Working with the Seattle Opera client and leadership with the Seattle Center to create a new urban landscape that preserves existing mature trees supports the functions of the new building and fits well within the context of the Seattle Center at large. The site consists essentially of two street edges, the busy, multi-lane Mercer Street to the north and the quieter, tree-lined 4th Street to the east. The wide dimensions of these streets provide space for stairs, terraces, and gardens that have a strong connection with the project’s architecture and interior design. While in the CD phase, we, as landscape architects, worked closely with the local civil engineer and our architecture team to detail highly complex stormwater structures that were designed to very rigorous city standards. When construction is complete, the Seattle Opera will have a new, highly visible front door, an enhanced Mercer Streetscape environment, a preserved 4th Street London Planetree canopy, a highly technical stormwater management system, and a discrete but functional service dock serving the Opera’s events.
Seattle Opera Landscape
Role: Project Landscape Architect
Client: Seattle Opera
Size: 1.5 Acres
Location: Seattle, WA
Status: Complete