Aerial of World’s Fair grounds, 1962.
Item 165660, City Light Photographic Negatives (Record Series 1204-01), Seattle Municipal Archives.
Written by Brian Byrd, Michael Catsos, Daniel Mckenna-Foster, and Isaac Robb.
The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World’s Fair) was held from April 21 – October 21, 1962. The fair was the first fair to be held in the United States post-World War II. The fair’s space age theme captured the excitement and fear surrounding the space race and the Cold War.
Approximately 9 million people attended the fair during the six months. The fair was located on 74 acres of urban land near downtown Seattle. Prior to the world’s fair the site was a neighborhood. To prepare for the exposition over 100 structures were demolished.[1] The fair included participants from 24 countries. It was originally conceived in 1955 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition. As the 1960s represented the jet age, William Boeing and the Boeing Aviation Company placed Seattle on the map. The Fair portrayed an optimistic vision of the future and technology.
Some of the pavilions and other structures were designed so they could be utilized after the fair. The iconic Space Needle and Seattle Monorail were created for the fair and remain iconic elements of the city. The United States Science Pavilion, designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, is now the Pacific Science Center. As Century 21, the entire fair focused on Science. Numerous inventions and concepts were on display at the fair. The fair was considered a success and today this success can be seen in the number of remaining buildings and the popularity of the site and its incorporation in the Seattle urban fabric.
Present Conditions
Today, the original fairground is known as Seattle Center and includes the entirety of the original 74 acres of which one third is green space. There are currently 44 buildings on the Seattle Center Campus.[2] The Seattle Center is owned and operated by the City of Seattle. As mentioned above, the fair left numerous buildings to the community’s benefit. The Washington State Pavilion became the Key Arena. The International Fountain is still a popular public space. The Fisher Pavilion and the Seattle Center Pavilion remain as well. The Seattle Center Armory which includes the Center House Theater and the Book-It Repertory Theatre is utilized daily. (It predated the fair and was utilized during the Century 21 expo.) McGraw Hall, formerly the Seattle Opera House is home to the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Additional buildings have been added to the site such as the Frank Gehry designed Experience Music Project in 2000. Seattle Center is heavily used throughout the year for festivals such as Bumpershoot. The Key Arena is home to the Seattle University Men’s Basketball Team as well as the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and formerly the home of the Seattle Supersonics.
Seattle Center is constantly evolving. Today the site is integrated into the surrounding community more than ever. The site boasts numerous sustainability initiatives in collaboration with such organizations as Seattle City Light and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2012, the Seattle Center celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Seattle Center’s Century 21 Master Plan, unveiled in 2008 is slowly being implemented. There are an estimated 7 million visitors annually.
Existing Plans and Proposals: Seattle Center’s Century 21 Master Plan
The Master Plan initiated in 2008 is a collaborative effort between Seattle Center, the City of Seattle and the Century 21 Committee.[3] The Century 21 Committee, formed in 2006, is a body of 17-member citizens appointed by the Mayor in homage to the 1962 Fair. The members represent varying interests throughout the community and work with the City of Seattle to prepare the Century 21 Master Plan. The goal of the plan is to redefine the Seattle Center as not an occasional destination, but as a “go to place.”[4] The Plan takes a holistic approach to the revisioning of Seattle Center and considers the Center’s growth over the next 20 years. The plan portrays the Seattle Center in eight chapters. Chapters include: Plan Overview; Environmental Sustainability, Transportation, Programming, Public Art, Landmarks, Public Involvement, and a Financial Overview.
“Drawn to the Center” is the mantra of the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, which was adopted by the Seattle City Council in 2008. The entire campus is designed with the intention to draw visitors – both local and from out of town— to the center of the grounds. Another guiding principle “Open Spaces” is to increase the amount of open space and ensure that these spaces are accessible to everyone. The Master Plan adds 10 acres of public open space, connecting the people and activities that were once isolated at its edges.[5]
Memorial Stadium currently owned and operated by the Seattle Public School District is an area in consideration for remodel. Seattle Center hopes to exchange the land with the Seattle School District to redevelop the site by tearing down the concrete walls and improve the connectedness to the existing grounds. The goal of this remodel is to draw people into the center of the site.
Seattle Memorial Stadium “Flash Forward.” Rendering by Studio 216 for SRG Partnership.
In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the World’s Fair, a City of Seattle and Seattle Center Redevelopment Authority Department commissioned a 2013 “Seattle Center: Historic Landmark Study”.[6] The study surveyed landmarks over 25 years of age and presented to the Seattle Landmarks Commission to be classified as historic landmarks. Several landmarks are already designated historic landmarks which include for example the Seattle Space Needle and the Seattle Monorail. Many of the remaining pavilion buildings from the fair will be eligible for landmark status. Currently, the roof of Key Arena has been designated as a landmark. Key Arena, the one-time home of the Seattle Supersonics in the Seattle Center was deemed unfit to host an NBA team.[7] As talks have escalated about relocating an NBA team back to Seattle, other sites have been proposed for a new arena. This would drastically shift the current uses of Key Arena, and would greatly threaten the vitality of the Seattle Center as a host of diverse events and uses. The City of Seattle must be cognizant to this possibility when finalizing site plans for when the NBA returns to Seattle.
The Space Needle, the most iconic structure in the Seattle Center is proposed to be surrounded by a naturally forested area, creating an urban forest environment with sustainable gardens that are quite different from the exposed concrete that currently surrounds the site.
As the new corporate campus of Amazon is constructed in South Lake Union, not far from the Seattle Center, connectivity for local residents will be imperative as the neighborhoods around the Seattle Center continues to change. This could include access to light rail and other public transportation options in the distant future. The Mercer Corridor West Project will also affect the transportation connectivity of Seattle Center. The project will change a large portion of Mercer Street, a major East-West Arterial on the North side of Seattle Center into integrated system which include a complete streets model based on freight, transit, pedestrians, bicycle, and car improvement.
Seattle Center, the organization within the City of Seattle aspires to remain a flexible space that is allowed to change with the circumstances faced by the community. The proposed changes in the Master Plan are not intended to be implemented at one time, rather, each element will be developed when opportunities and resources converge.[8] This is similar to the past structure of the Seattle Center, which has proven to be successful.
Sustainability Initiatives & Issues
The Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, which was adopted by the Seattle City Council includes a progressive and strong commitment to environmental sustainability over the next 20 years. The plan emphasizes attention to the ecological systems, green building technology, energy conservation, and establishes the Seattle Center as a platform for public information about sustainability.
Seattle Center provided a detailed sustainability document which provides a broad overview of Seattle Center Sustainability measure. The document reveals Seattle Center’s commitment to conservation and sustainability.
“Seattle Center is committed to environmental stewardship and reducing the amount the campus contributes to environmental pollution. Our ultimate goal is to have a positive impact overall on the environment. We’ve put in place measures to reduce the use of electricity, water, environmentally harmful materials and fossil fuels….Although Seattle Center has reduced its environmental impact markedly in recent years, we’re not done yet. Green operations will expand as we continue to transform the campus in the future.”[9]
After discussion with both the Director of Communications and the Director of Capital planning and the Strategic Planning Advisor the specific sustainability metrics available was not recommended. In order, to perpetuate their mission of sustainability and conservation it is recommended this information be made transparent and readily available. Without these numbers and the associated financial costs of their installation and upkeep, it is impossible to measure the legitimate impact of these features. “McGraw Hall, completed in 2003, features a solar panel system that produces enough electricity to power the grand lobby lighting.”[10] While this is an admirable attempt, the offset of one lobby’s lighting might be considered to be more of a type of “green-washing” publicity strategy as opposed to a meaningful sustainable action.
Large aging buildings often suffer from exorbitant amounts of energy consumption that is a result from the building envelopes leaking energy, especially from the roofs.[11] The buildings pose challenges to modern sustainable retrofitting. As well, buildings at Seattle Center must balance their environmental priorities with their cultural heritage and historic preservation priorities, as well as financial sustainability. These priorities most be analyzed thoroughly and implemented collaboratively and cohesively in order to achieve a truly sustainable site which meets social, economic, and environmental sustainability. To truly be sustainable these priorities must be viewed holistically.
Strategies to Confront Sustainability Challenges
Managed by City of Seattle and Seattle Center the site coordinates with the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability. The Office is committed to environmental sustainably through its implementation of policies, plans, and regulations.[12] Seattle Center focuses on several areas of sustainability which include: Water & Energy Conservation, Lighting Control, Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Indoor Air Quality, & Landscaping. The Center has promoted sustainability in numerous capacities. For instance, The Theater commons became the first project in Washington State to earn Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) certification. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES®) is a program which provides a rating system which emphasizes the importance of landscapes. The comprehensive rating system is able to design and define sustainable sites and ultimately evaluate the values of landscapes.[13] The 5th Ave North Parking Garage was the first parking garage in North America awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, with the garage attaining LEED gold status.[14]
The Seattle Center organization promotes social sustainability though its implementation of diverse programming which caters to a wide audience. There numerous Theatres, Museums and cultural events provide a unique experience for visitors. However, on occasion these activities can be less accessible to the lower-income public that cannot afford to participate in these activities. However, Seattle Center does promote discounts on a variety of activities well aware this will allow more individuals to participate in the programming. The diverse programming and tenants allow Seattle Center to thrive and maintain financial sustainability.
[1]Masha Watson, “The History of the Seattle Center: A Timeline,” Seattle Magazine, February 2012, http://seattlemag.com/article/history-seattle-center-timeline
[2] Layne Cubell. Phone interview by Brian Byrd, Ithaca, NY, November 7, 2014.
[3] “Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan: Drawn to the Center,” Century 21 Committee Members, adopted August, 2008.
[4] “Master Plan Overview,” Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, adopted August, 2008.pg. 9
[5] “Century 21 Master Plan Highlights,” Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, adopted August, 2008, pg. 4.
[6] “Seattle Center Historic Landmark Study.” City of Seattle. Accessed 1/31/2015, http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/documents/SCFinalLandmarksAssessment3-26-13.pdf
[7] “Bellevue Developers Rail Against Using Public Monies to Build a New Arena in Sodo, Instead of, You Know, Using Public Monies to Build a New Arena in Bellevue.”
The Stranger. Accessed 1/31/2015, http://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/09/19/bellevue-developers-rail-against-using-public-monies-to-build-a-new-arena-in-sodo-instead-of-you-know-using-public-monies-to-build-a-new-ar&view=comments
[8] Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, pg. 10.
[9] “Conservation and Stewardship.” Seattle Center Conservation and Stewardship, Last Updated September 2014, www.seattlecenter.com/facilities/green.aspx
[10] “Energy Conservation.” Seattle Center Conservation and Stewardship, Last Updated September 2014, www.seattlecenter.com/facilities/green.aspx
[11] “Stamp Out Energy Waste.” Energy Star. Accessed 11/9/2014, http://www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-and-managers/existing-buildings/save-energy/stamp-out-energy-waste#Heating-cooling
[12] “Office of Sustainability and Environment.” City of Seattle. Accessed 1/31/2015, http://www.seattle.gov/environment/buildings-and-energy/programs-and-policies
[13] “About.” Sustainable Sites Initiative. . Accessed 1/31/2015, http://www.sustainablesites.org/about
[14] “Energy Conservation.” Seattle Center Conservation and Stewardship, Last Updated September 2014, www.seattlecenter.com/facilities/green.aspx