Earlier this year, Seattle University announced plans to construct a ten-story building at at 1107 E Madison in Capitol Hill. The structure would be the new home of their Enrollment Services offices and include eight floors of dormitory space for juniors and seniors.
Monday, SU brought their plans for the building before the Seattle University Standing Advisory Committee for review (the college is not subject to city design review) and the overwhelming opinion appeared to be something along the lines of...meh.
“It reminds me of a telecommunications building, to put it honestly,” said Capitol Hill architect John Feit, who sits on the committee tasked with reviewing the project’s designs and adherence to its master plan. Committee members primarily took issue with size and ratio of windows compared to the rest of the facade. Some cited the building’s proximity to Capitol Hill and the neighborhood arts districts as reasons for a more colorful palate.
Capstone Development Partners and Ankrom Moisan Architects are working together on the complex, and though they agree that the design could be a bit more playful, they’re also trying to maintain a unversity-appropriate feeling.
“We’re not looking to create an iconic piece of architecture,” said Capstone principal Bruce McKee. “We’re looking to create a building that will look as good as it does ten years from now as it does today.”
Along with the new structure, Seattle U is also updating the ground floor building at 12th & Madison, which will become the new campus bookstore. The storage business currently operating