Wittman Estes adds tech and natural flair to Seattle hotel renovation

Wittman Estes designs the Civic Hotel, a newly renovated boutique hotel in the rapidly developing South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.
Photo courtesy Nic Lehoux

Wittman Estes architects have completed the Civic Hotel, a renovated boutique hotel between the Space Needle and the rapidly changing South Lake Union district in Seattle, Washington.

The location is at the nexus of the newly connected road network, where the hotel marks the northern entrance of the recently reopened SR99 tunnel. Originally referred to as the Imperial ‘400’ Motel and built in 1962 for the Century 21 World’s Fair, the building has been redesigned with modern indoor and outdoor spaces in the spirit of jet travel, optimism and a Seattle mix of technology and nature – based on themes such as Ease, speed and flight.

The converted 2549 m2 (27,433 sf) building has three floors and 52 guest rooms. A lobby and event space are located on the ground floor, while 26 guest rooms are located on the second and third floors. There is also a gym on the second level. A sky lounge on the roof is planned for a future phase.

The original hotel had been poorly renovated over the years, covering the original bones of the architecture and turning inward to avoid the noise of the SR99. The existing lobby was dark and separated from both the surrounding cityscape and the guest rooms above. With the new tunnel, which is laying the motorway underground, the hotel owners wanted to take advantage of the lower noise level and create an indoor-outdoor experience on the lobby level.

The renovated lobby features a new glass staircase with floating Douglas fir stairs that lead guests to the guest rooms on the upper level. A new 93 m2 ground floor conference and event room can be divided into smaller rooms with sliding walls or opened for a large event. A café is to be opened in the northeast corner of the lobby, the doors of which lead to a wooden terrace with built-in seating.

On the outside of the hotel, Wittman Estes worked with a neon sign shop to create a new sign that is visible from the SR99 to the south and the surrounding neighborhood. At the now pedestrian-friendly corner of the hotel, a new 100-square-foot hardwood Ipe deck and event space open the hotel to the sidewalk and look north to the nearby Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, the Gates Foundation headquarters and Space Nadel. The entire lower north facade of the building now has La Cantina folding doors that completely connect the event space with the outer deck.

“The key to hotel rooms is balancing art and commerce,” said architect Matt Wittman. “We wanted to choose materials that would last a long time and still bring a sense of luxury with them.”

Working with the hotel owners to create a fresh and contemporary boutique hotel that draws on the original spirit of mid-century modern architecture, Wittman Estes transformed the Civic Hotel to bring in sunlight and a new awareness of the surrounding neighborhood create.