| Kreielsheimer Promenade | |
|---|---|
 Kreielsheimer Promenade in 2007 | |
| Location | Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
  Kreielsheimer Promenade | |
| Coordinates: 47°37′26.5″N 122°21′4″W / 47.624028°N 122.35111°W / 47.624028; -122.35111 | |
Kreielsheimer Promenade is a 17,800-square-foot public plaza in the Seattle Center, in the U.S. state of Washington. The plaza is an entry to McCaw Hall and a pedestrian corridor connecting the campus and Mercer Street.
The promenade features a series of large metal scrims as well as multiple artworks inside and outside the performance venue. It has been recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Description and history
Designed by Seattle-based firm Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, the plaza serves as an entry to McCaw Hall and connects Mercer Street to inner Seattle Center. It replaced the performance venue's former entry and interior ticket area.
Kreielsheimer Promenade has been described by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as "an appealing indoor garden on the ground level and a series of towering metal scrims overhead onto which fields of color projected, primarily on performance nights". The American Institute of Architects describes the promenade as a "subtly undulating, brightly lighted open space between two campus buildings".
The nine 30-foot-tall scrims are made of metal.
Landscaping and public art
The plaza has three shallow pools (including one called Underfoot), a terrazzo walkway, and outdoor seating. According to the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, "The landscape was built partially over mechanical rooms below, adding complexity to its design." Linda Hales of The Washington Post said the promenade "offers operagoers an opportunity to dip their Manolos in a quarter-inch sheet of water, which shimmers like glass, except when the water is turned off as a conservation measure". Kathryn Gustafson is credited as a designer of the landscapes and water features.
The 2003 artwork Dreaming in Color by Leni Schwendinger features programmed lighting projected toward the scrims. The "three-dimensional environmental installation" has been used for special occasions; for example, teal lighting was used during September 2013 to commemorate National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. The promenade was illuminated blue in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to commemorate first responders and health care workers. The work measures 45 x 30–50 x 150 feet (13.7 x 9.1–15.2 x 45.7 m).
Inside McCaw Hall, at the promenade's north end, the sculpture An Equal and Opposite Reaction by Sarah Szewith displays found objects over a staircase.
Reception
The project received a Merit Award from the Washington chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (WASLA) in 2003, followed by an Honor Award from the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects and a Tucker Design Award from the Building Stone Institute in 2004. It earned Gustafson Guthrie Nichol a national award of excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2005.
References
- Way, Thaïsa; Guthrie, Jennifer; Gustafson, Kathryn; Nichol, Shannon; Abela, Rodrigo (2018-11-27). GGN: Landscapes 1999-2018. Timber Press. ISBN 978-1-60469-823-7. Archived from the original on 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- ZEMTSEFF, KATIE (September 15, 2010). "Gustafson Guthrie Nichol designed garden at Chicago's Millennium Park". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- "Former Civic Auditorium and Seattle Center Opera House opens as the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall on June 28, 2003". www.historylink.org. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ "Curtain set to rise on Marion Oliver McCaw Hall | Queen Anne & Magnolia News". queenannenews.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- CAMPBELL, R. M. (2003-06-19). "Marion Oliver McCaw Hall: A star is reborn". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "ASLA Honors 33 Projects with 2005 Awards". American Institute of Architects. August 2005. Archived from the original on 2020-09-07. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- Daoust, Deborah (2021-07-30). "Did You Know?". Center Spotlight. Archived from the original on 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "Marion Oliver McCaw Hall". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ Hales, Linda (June 25, 2005). "Landscape Architect Kathryn Gustafson, Going With the Flow". The Washington Post.
- Bargreen, Melinda (June 22, 2003). "McCaw Hall: a house reborn". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "Dreaming in Color in Seattle, WA". Public Art Archive. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "Public Art". www.seattlecenter.com. Archived from the original on 2022-07-09. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- Diamond, Robert. "Teal Glow at Seattle Center Raises Awareness for Ovarian Cancer". Broadway World. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- Daoust, Deborah (2020-04-24). "Seattle Center Organizations and Venues Contribute to COVID-19 Response Efforts". Center Spotlight. Archived from the original on 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- Zelanski, Paul; Fisher, Mary Pat (2011). The Art of Seeing. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-205-74834-1. Archived from the original on 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- "Marion Oliver McCaw Hall Review - Seattle Washington - Performing Arts | Fodor's Travel". www.fodors.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "Natural Stone Institute - Archive and History". www.naturalstoneinstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "2004 Tucker Awards | Stone World". www.stoneworld.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "AWARDS". GGN. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- "ASLA 2005 Professional Awards". www.asla.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
