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Seattle's latest soaring addition to the downtown cityscape is starting to make a big impact, as the concrete core and steel frame of The Mark climb over Fifth Avenue and Columbia Street. Daniels Real Estate is spearheading the development of the 43-storey office and hotel building, which was designed by ZGF Architects.
The project is now under construction on a lot adjacent to what used to be the First Methodist Episcopal Church. The education wing of the church, which was built in 1950, was demolished to make room for the over 200-metre skyscraper to blossom. The building has since been repurposed into the Daniels Recital Hall, a venue that hosts a variety of concerts and other events. Its use will be modified once again when it acts as the events venue for the 184-room SLS Hotel that will span floors two through 16 of the new neighbouring tower.
The Mark's glazed envelope and nine-and-a-half-foot windows provide stunning views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains while flooding the 528,000 square feet of office space with abundant natural light. Its low-emissivity radiant glass has also been designed to reduce glare. A range of dedicated office amenities will give tenants the opportunity to workout in the fitness centre, relax in lounging spaces, and get down to business in multiple concierge and conference rooms.
As large steel beams and floor plates encase the concrete core, the unique angular shape of the tower is becoming evident. Exterior seismic bracing will embed itself diagonally across the curtain wall facade, enhancing structural safety and permitting column-free interiors. The triangular peak of the building was designed to capture solar energy via photovoltaic glass. Combined with a 35-foot living wall at its base and rainwater harvesting technologies, the developer hopes to achieve LEED Gold certification upon completion in 2017.
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