Legacy and community are the key drivers behind 9th & Thomas, a twelve-story mixed-use project located in South Lake Union. The site was originally developed in 1944 as the headquarters of Sellen Construction, now the largest locally-owned general contractor in the Pacific Northwest. The Redman family, owners of Sellen, decided to develop this legacy project at 9th & Thomas after their headquarters moved around the corner in 1999.
Photo: Nic Lehoux
9th & Thomas
Seattle, Washington
The design of this new 230,000-square-foot building emphasizes porousness and adaptability. The building’s massing is in the form of a cascading cube, where a strong corner position is softened with setbacks, exposed terraces and inset covered terraces on nearly every floor. These openings help break down the building’s scale, making it responsive to its context at all levels.
Large, operable windows along the façade allow the building to adapt to Seattle’s ever-changing weather conditions, giving the upper-level office tenants the ability to control their spaces with natural ventilation and daylight. A fourth-floor roof garden and series of outdoor terraces running up the building continue the emphasis on occupant wellness. The project is LEED Gold certified.
Reflecting the Redman family’s longstanding commitment to the neighborhood, 9th & Thomas is designed to be a central hub serving its community. The building features a double-height glazed corner entrance to the main lobby, welcoming the neighborhood into this public gathering space. Activated by the retail and restaurant spaces framing the lobby, this neighborhood “living room” is home to a range of curated arts programming such as live music and performances. The building’s inviting street presence establishes 9th & Thomas as a contextual community hub—one that will serve the rapidly evolving South Lake Union neighborhood today and into the future.
The design of 9th & Thomas references the evolutionary process of the South Lake Union community.Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA
Design Principal
Digital Kitchen Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
Underbelly at the Seattle Center
Seattle, Washington
Team
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Jeff Ocampo
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John Hallock
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Sasha Leon
Hayden Robinson
Brian Walters
Jamie Slagel
Bryan Berkas -
Laina Navarro
Irina Bokova
Publications
2020
“9th & Thomas.” Archello, 2 Apr. 2020. Web.
Gangal, Sanjay. “9th & Thomas in Seattle, Washington by Olson Kundig.” AECCafe, 19 Feb. 2020. Web.
2019
“9th & Thomas.” Craft, a Sellen Publication, Fall 2019, 27. Print.
2018
“Amazon leases new office building in South Lake Union.” Puget Sound Business Journal, 12 Jan. 2018. Web.
Bosanac, Vladimir. “Amazon Leases 12-Story 9th & Thomas in Seattle.” The Registry, 15 Jan. 2018. Web.
Levy, Nat. “Amazon Leases 2 More Seattle Office Buildings, Continuing Hometown Growth as HQ2 Looms.” GeekWire, 15 Jan. 2018. Web.
Parkhurst, Emily. “Five things Seattle can teach Amazon HQ2’s winner about what to expect.” Puget Sound Business Journal, 25 Jan. 2018. Web.
Parkhurst, Emily. “What Seattle can teach HQ2’s winner.” Puget Sound Business Journal, 26 Jan. 2018, 16. Print.
Rosenberg, Mike. “Amazon expanding again in Seattle with 2 more leases, as growth continues unabated.” The Seattle Times, 12 Jan. 2018. Web.
2017
Bennet, Sam. “New rules for outdoor air systems will mean big changes for architects and engineers.” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 27 July 2017, 4. Print.
2016
“Sellen, Olson Kundig break ground today on SLU office/retail building.” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, 10 May 2016. Web.