Items Tagged ‘bank’
Courtyard Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square
Project Name:
Courtyard Seattle Downtown Pioneer SquareLocation:
Seattle, Washington, USACompletion Date:
June 2010Original Use(s):
bankNew Use(s):
hotelProject Description:
History
Dating back to the days of the Gold Rush, the Alaska Building originally served as a bank to the Seattle area. This 1904 building was the first steel-framed structure and the first real “skyscraper” in the Northwest. The 14-story building was designed by Eames and Young and stood as the city’s tallest building until 1911. The building was styled with Beaux Arts ornamentation which is rare in Seattle. The Alaska Building started a rush of similarly-sized buildings along the street, lending it the monicker of the Second Avenue canyon.[1]
(Re)Developer
Marriott International is a family of wide-ranging hotel brands including: Marriott Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, EDITION Hotels, and Courtyard by Marriott. With over 800 locations in 28 countries, Courtyard caters to a wide range of travelers by offering varying accommodations.[2]
Outcome
The historic Alaska Building once again serves travelers and visitors to the City of Seattle. Although the days of the Gold Rush are behind this northwestern city, there is still much activity and excitement happening in this growing metropolis. The bank may no longer be accepting the gold findings from prospectors, but the new Courtyard by Marriott hotel has opened its doors to provide overnight stay to tourists and business people.
Located in Pioneer Square (the original heart of Seattle), the Courtyard building is part of this well-known historic district. The hotel is within walking distance to numerous art galleries, internet companies, cafés, sports bars, nightclubs, and bookstores.[3]
The adaptive reuse project of the building converted the numerous office floors into a 262-guest room hotel. In addition to the rooms, the hotel also boasts nine meeting rooms as well as easy mass transit connections to the rest of the city.[4]
[1]Wikipedia
[2]Marriott International
[3]Wikipedia
[4]Courtyard by Marriott
Images courtesy of Marriott and Washington State Historical Society.
Marriott To Open Courtyard Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square In Adaptive Reuse Of 1904 Alaska Building
Project Name:
Marriott To Open Courtyard Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square In Adaptive Reuse Of 1904 Alaska BuildingLocation:
Completion Date:
Original Use(s):
New Use(s):
Project Description:
What once served as the meeting place for gold prospectors will soon serve the visiting business sector in Seattle, Washington. Marriott plans to complete its adaptive reuse of the historic 1904 Alaska Building in the heart of Pioneer Square this May 2010. The new Courtyard by Marriott location will serve short- and long-term guests and feature a restaurant and 4,600 square feet of meeting space. The 15-story former bank building is perfectly located to allow for easy pedestrian access to Qwest Field, Safeco Field, and the Pioneer Square Station.
PNC Bank – Harbor East
Project Name:
PNC Bank – Harbor EastLocation:
Baltimore, Maryland, USACompletion Date:
April 2009Original Use(s):
warehouseNew Use(s):
bankProject Description:
History
Dating back to the turn of the last century, this building was built as a furniture warehouse.[1] The warehouse is located in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore which was marked by numerous warehouses from the same time period.[2]
(Re)Developer
PNC Financial Inc. was created in 1982 from the merger of Pittsburgh National Corporation and Provident National Corporation. Since 2000, PNC has been focused on being greener. From green banking to building LEED-certified new branches, the bank also focuses on construction with recycled materials and structures.[3]
The architectural firm that adapted the warehouse was Gensler. The Baltimore location has handled projects across the United States.
Outcome
The redevelopment of Harbor East started in 1983 when Baltimore city officials hired a planning team to envision the new Inner Harbor.[4] Gensler restored the warehouse while at the same time incorporated PNC hallmark traits. The 3,270-square-foot bank branch includes a retail banking area, offices, and a conference room. The height of the basement was lowered so as to allow the retail space to meet ground level. Numerous materials from the warehouse were reused in the renovation and will be coupled with the water- and energy-saving mechanical systems for the certification process to be awarded LEED Gold.[5]
[1]Architectural Record
[2]Wikipedia
[3]PNC
[4]Wikipedia
[5]Architectural Record
Images courtesy of Architectural Record.