Take a first look at Ascent apartments in South Lake Union

One of the latest luxury projects to hit the skyline in South Lake Union is the Ascent, a 25-story building with 251 homes. The tower was designed by Weber Thompson—the firm behind many other Seattle residential towers, including the Kiara, which opened around the same time—to resemble cascading rain on the exterior. It was developed by Greystar, an international property management company that runs several Seattle buildings.

While it’s pretty normal in new buildings to squeeze in some itty-bitty apartments, Ascent makes sure to have plenty of wiggle-room. The smallest unit is a 631-square-foot guest suite—but the homes themselves start at one-bedroom, ranging from 669 to 951 square feet. Two live-work lofts are 991 and 1,224 square feet, and two-bedroom apartments go from 1,031 to 1,748 square feet. The 14 fanciest homes on the highest floors—referred to as penthouses, although they’re not all on the very top floor—go up to three bedrooms and 1,831 square feet.

Rent starts at $2,600 per month and runs all the way up to $9,355 per month; homes are leasing now.

Interiors have the airy, open-concept look common in the current wave of new Weber Thompson-designed buildings, with high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling window banks, exposed pillars, and drop ceilings to better light the kitchen.

Penthouses have a more elaborate collection of finishes and amenities—including very futuristic hidden TV screens in the bathroom mirrors. Hardwood floors and a full suite of smart home-enabled tech like Alexa-controlled shades and light switches also step it up.

The roof level is home to many of the shared spaces, including a deck with outdoor heating, fire pits, and grills. Inside, there’s a shared entertainment kitchen, a life-size Scrabble board, and a spa.

Other amenities include a pet wash, dog run, a large indoor-outdoor gym with towel service, bike storage, and co-working space. Each unit gets a parking space, available with electric car charging. Common areas were designed with a nautical sensibility, like seaplane motifs and chrome finishes.

Six retail spaces with 8,727 total square feet of space is also included in the building.

South Lake Union’s construction boom is bringing several apartment projects to fruition in and around the neighborhood this year, like the Kiara and the McKenzie—not to mention a bevy of hotels like Even and Moxy.

This article originally published an incorrect square footage range for one-bedroom apartments. This has been corrected.