SEATTLE (Jan. 24, 2019) — The Miller Hull Partnership, an international, award-winning architecture and planning firm, has received a 2019 AIA Institute Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design for Pike Place MarketFront from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
This honor underscores the point that the contribution architects make to clients and the public is not only a matter of single buildings, but also how those buildings relate to one another and create the infrastructure for a community and a civilization, explains AIA President William J. Bates, FAIA.
Photo credit: © Lara Swimmer
Completed in 2017, Pike Place MarketFront is first major addition to the iconic Pike Place Market in nearly 40 years. The new community space complements the culture and spirit of the original Market, catering to the present, but looking to the future as the gateway from the heart of downtown to the waterfront. Soon, Pike Place MarketFront will connect directly to Overlook Walk, part of Seattle’s multi-phase waterfront revitalization plan that is currently in design.
“We were so humbled when we were selected for this project because we knew how important it was going to be for the city of Seattle,” said David Miller, founding partner of Miller Hull and design lead on the project.
Pike Place MarketFront is located in a highly compact neighborhood, one that embodies true urbanism. Miller Hull’s design opens the city’s treasured landmark with grand public gathering space, framed by a contemporary lightness and transparency. Contextually inspired by the toughness of the Pacific Northwest, Pike Place MarketFront oozes simple, utilitarian character through its cast-in-place concrete and engineered timber base, capped by an open-air structural steel framed pavilion.
Photo credit: © Lara Swimmer
Like the existing Market, Pike Place MarketFront is an active public space built to serve the surrounding community and the nearly 40,000 people from across the world who visit the area each day. An extension of the existing neighborhood, the project added 50 vendor stalls, public restrooms, 40 low-income and senior housing units and retail/office space.
This programmatic complexity and prominence within the Seattle community demanded deep involvement from a wide range of stakeholders, including the merchants who would be using the space. Over two years, the design team participated in and facilitated hundreds of public meetings, seeking comment on design direction and development that led to a new urban place that tantalizes visitors and longstanding residents alike.
Photo credit: © Navid Baraty
“This recognition echoes the importance of the project to the city, as well as the importance of public space in urban areas in general,” said Miller. “We are very excited about this award and we hope that Pike Place MarketFront will become a can’t-miss experience for all.”
The jury for the 2019 AIA National Institute Honor Awards for Regional and Urban Design included Lance Hosey, FAIA (Chair), Gensler, San Diego; Jonah Cohen, FAIA, Hacker; Jeffrey Huber, AIA, Brooks + Scarpa Architects; Marcel Quimby, FAIA, Gensler, Dallas; and Claudia Herasme, New York City Department of City Planning.
For more information about Pike Place MarketFront, or The Miller Hull Partnership, call (206) 682-6837 or visit www.millerhull.com.
About The Miller Hull Partnership
Founded in 1977 by David Miller and Robert Hull, The Miller Hull Partnership is an international, award-winning architecture and planning firm specializing in performance-based designs for public and private buildings. The firm is widely recognized for designs that actively engage the site and their communities. Capabilities include master planning, urban design, and interior design services for a range of projects where people Live, Work, Learn, Gather, Serve and Think. Miller Hull has received over 350 local, regional and national awards for design excellence, including the notable AIA National Firm Award. For more information, visit www.millerhull.com.
