SIGNAL

Architecture
Built in conjunction with the Space Needle to celebrate the 1962 World Fair in Seattle, Seattle Center Monorail is an icon and living landmark as well as a bonafide mode of transportation from Seattle Center to Downtown. Today, it is in need of a careful refresh that unwinds the patches of time and improves access, circulation, and safety to celebrate the identity of Seattle Center. This project provides a unique opportunity to complement the existing structure with additions that capture the spirit of the original architecture in a contemporary idiom, improve the stations’ safety, and create a more frictionless experience for all travelers.

People
Seattle Center Monorail Station is both a landmark growing in significance over time as well as a cultural marker that celebrates the technological optimism of the Century 21 expo. Even today, Seattle Center Monorail retains its character and unbridled futurism. It also has a serious significance of function as a gateway and point of access serving a breadth of Seattle’s communities. The right solution demands a multi-pronged approach, calibrated between technical analysis and creative design thinking. Owned by the City of Seattle and operated by Seattle Monorail Services LLC (SMS), the project is funded with a grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and a local matching grant from WSDOT, and it is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of members from Seattle Center and SMS.

Place
Seattle Center Monorail attracts both tourists and locals and offers them a ride that may be functional, but offers much more than a typical transit experience. Because Seattle Center Monorail is elevated above the street level by 25 feet, it offers a unique and unobstructed experience of the city’s core and is an important element marking the identity of the downtown. Because of this, Seattle Center Monorail is both cherished and necessary, and must remain running during the course of our project. The project carries the responsibility of addressing the need presented by six decades of wear, while respecting the unique character of the stations and its ridership.