The 800 Fifth Avenue Repositioning updates the role of the modern urban workplace by creating an office experience that is better than home. The repositioning departs from the oversized proportion of many office towers toward a more human-scaled sensibility. Interior renovations draw on fundamental tenets of residential design, incorporating natural materials, intimately scaled spaces and bespoke detailing to support a warm, comfortable interior environment. Improved sightlines, access to natural light and integrated artwork likewise marry residential considerations with the building’s existing architectural language.

Inhabiting both public and private uses, the revised lobby, retail, fitness center and courtyard spaces introduce new social amenities to Seattle’s downtown core that foster a vibrant urban experience for workers, residents and visitors alike. Additions of white oak and exposed steel bring warmth and tactility to the space, while bespoke installations including suspended lantern lighting and bookcases reduce the interior volume to a more residential scale. Throughout, a sequence of insertions shape flexible social gathering zones that transition seamlessly from the interior to the courtyard’s outdoor “rooms.”

Outside, 800 Fifth Avenue’s courtyard is reimagined as a series of community gathering spaces with multiple nodes for gathering. Complementing the interior spaces, exterior terraces suit a variety of community and small-group uses, anchored by a hearth that establishes a cozy, all-seasons focal point. A cantilevered retail bar and elevated terrace looks down on Fifth Avenue, exchanging views between levels to activate both spaces while mitigating wind within the courtyard.