Aesthetic Six-storey Convention Center by LMN Architects

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Using a series of interconnected volumes that reflect the verticality of the dense Seattle urban location, a local architecture studio LMN Architects has completed a convention center in downtown Seattle with a six-storey central atrium and large wooden staircase according to Dezeen. Located in the center of the city, the Convention Center Summit building is a detached expansion of the original nearby Seattle Convention Center Arch building.

According to Leonardo da Costa, the Principal Architect of LMN Architects, “The demand for increased density and tall, more efficient buildings is making a mark on urban centers around the world.” “With its striking architecture and multiple levels, the Seattle Convention Center Summit offers a sense of excitement and innovation that enlivens Seattle’s skyline.”

Clad in charcoal-black aluminium and stainless steel metal panels with curtain walls, the 5.1-million-square-foot (473,805 square meter) building spans six storeys. The separation of distinct volumes is indicative of the building’s program, which includes public event centers such as an exhibit hall, flexible space, meeting rooms, a rooftop green space and a 58,000-square-foot (5,400 square meters) ballroom on the topmost floor.

A 225-foot-tall (68 meters) atrium was placed towards the entrance of the building and divides publicly accessible spaces from more private meeting spaces such as the offices and a ballroom, and visitors enter the lobby on the ground floor.

From the basement exhibition floor to the second-floor flex space, the atrium is partially enclosed, with two cutouts in the ceiling letting in light from above. And from the third level to the sixth, the atrium opens into one large rectangular space, culminating in a skylight at the top of the building.

Visitors traverse the various levels using escalators or a glass-enclosed staircase on the west-facing side of the building, which looks towards the Puget Sound. The studio designed the staircase to jut out from the façade of the building, with the stepped steel underbelly exposed as a nod to Seattle’s surrounding mountains.

At the top of the structure is the massive ballroom, which occupies a jutting black-clad form that slopes up to a triple-height space. A roof terrace was placed on top of the building’s lobby and public area, which also includes retail spaces. The interior contains a variety of sustainable and local materials and was designed to reflect a Pacific Northwest sensibility, as the studio told Dezeen.

According to the studio Principal Lori Naig, “The Summit building has many unique interior spaces with materials that interpret the forest floor and tree canopy shadows.” “And social gathering spaces embellished with the warmth of wood, crafted metal detailing, and vibrant color accents.” “Wood and wood products are prominently featured throughout the interior of the building, from intricately crafted light fixtures to the design of several feature ceilings.”

Ceilings throughout the building contain suspended planks of salvaged or local wood, while other spaces have ceilings made of interlocking perforated metal. Carpeted and concrete floors with gypsum walls and accents of natural stone and terrazzo complete the interior palette.

The studio told Dezeen that the building will become LEED Gold certified through sustainable techniques like the use of recycled materials, a rainwater harvesting system and solar panels installed on the rooftop. The building also incorporates artwork from a number of local artists.

According to Dezeen, the Summit building is one of several projects recently completed by LMN Architects in Washington State, including a mass-timber business school for the University of Washington and an expansive viewing platform atop a bridge.