Astro Apartments

Project Details

Project Description

Located adjacent to Seattle Center, site of the 1962 World’s Fair and inspired by this Googie architecture, Astro Apartments’ design embraces the space-age futurism aesthetic. Mid-century concepts guided design decisions at every scale, including the overall building form, cantilevering cornices, butterfly roof at the penthouse, façade modulation, signage and furnishings. The façade treatment instills a dynamic pattern of window openings, stepped storefront mullions, and sculptural precast concrete columns. The lighting and signage detail affirms the signature styling as well. An S-shaped form expresses movement with a planar shift that divides the long facades into smaller, asymmetrical pieces with recessed courtyards. This half-block in-fill development stitches together both ends with dynamic mixed-use retail and residential activity. To accommodate pedestrian movement to and from events at Seattle Center, recessed street-level retail spaces increase sidewalk width and provide covered plazas. Two independent levels of underground parking – one serving residents and another for the commercial space and events – are accessed off the alley. Capitalizing on the site topography allowed a dynamic, two-story lobby and retail facades. These spaces evoke a delicate transparent base supported by expressive columns, with a heavier floating mass above – a hallmark of the mid-century modern aesthetic.