After the seawall has been upgraded and the Alaskan Way Viaduct has been dismantled, the Seattle Waterfront is going to be ready for a makeover. Landscape architect James Corner and architects at The Miller Hull Partnership have spent the last year-and-a-half trying to conceptualize a vision for Waterfront 2.0. That vision will be presented to the public Wednesday night and includes a whole lot of additions, some we've heard before and some we haven't.
Visitors to a redesigned Seattle waterfront could pass through a curtain of mist near sea-stack rocks reminiscent of the Washington coast, kick off their pumps and loafers, and head into a shimmering wave pool, leaving their day jobs behind. Around them on the central waterfront would be a 26-block promenade from the Stadium District to the Olympic Sculpture Park and, at its center, nine acres of new public plazas, water features, terraced gardens and a seasonal swimming-pool barge — complete with hot tubs and changing rooms — tied up at Piers 62 and 63.
You might remember the swimming pool barge idea when it was first floated out there in November. The $420 million plan for redevelopment requires voter approval as well as "tens of millions from other sources."
Between this and gondola proposal, heckuva week for waterfront revival ideas. Do you like what you're hearing?
· Waterfront wish: Architect has big plans for post-viaduct era [Seattle Times]
· Hey Seattle, Can We Interest You In A Giant Barge Pool? [Curbed Seattle]
· Downtown Seattle Gondola Proposal Details Unveiled [Curbed Seattle]
Images: James Corner Field Operations, City of Seattle