Stadium Exhibition Center, Seattle WA, 1999
wpa, inc. designed all exterior and interior architectural graphics for the Exhibition Center and the 2,000 car parking garage. One of the primary design objectives was to reflect and augment the excitement of events at the Stadium, Exhibition Center and neighboring new ballpark by providing sculptural graphic elements that address the huge flow of event attendees on Occidental Avenue. Three "media kiosks" - two free-standing kiosks on Occidental Avenue and a third attached to the building (media tower) at the opposite corner, use LED readerboards to broadcast events to the street. The repetition of the media kiosk permits a choreographed presentation of images around the site, and the kit-of-parts approach to the construction permits each kiosk to respond to the uniqueness of its location. Together, they may be seen as a figural expression of a network of information that forms such a vital component of our infrastructure. The LED readerboards and advertising graphics above communicate from a distance, as the lower portion of the kiosk addresses the pedestrian more directly with a public poster case and telephone booth.
This entrance plaza is further enlivened by a series of large illuminated banner armatures (12' x 24') which are incorporated into the building's double columns. These structures make a show of showing, appearing to hover and balance within the space between the columns of the building, with layers of mesh banners, cable structure, and perforated sheet metal panels.
In the interior, we use large areas of color as a wayfinding mechanism. Blue walls signify the locations for specific amenities - yellow walls signify the locations of concessions. This series of building-scaled elements purposefully addresses the large spaces of the interior and exterior and how its scale is transformed by huge numbers of people.
Top
