17500 Midvale Ave. N.
Shoreline, WA USA
Winter 2010
Shoreline City Hall
Shoreline's new City Hall is the first step toward a pedestrian-oriented town center in this suburban community. Located along a busy arterial, the civic center building offers views through to a green plaza and terraced amphitheatre. Citizens are invited to access city services and information, utilize meeting facilities, or simply linger in the warm and welcoming lobby 'living room'. The colorful glass facade overlooking the civic plaza is a collaboration between public artist and architect, showcasing activity and inviting an open relationship between commnity and its local government.
Glass doors in the Council Chamber open onto the plaza, allowing the possibility for public meetings, banquets or wedding parties to spill out into the outdoor space, or to share events in the terraced amphitheatre leading to the parking garage. The multi-use plaza and parking structure are framed by innovative stormwater swales and features, forming the backbone of an expanded civic campus and connection across Midvale Avenue to the Interurban Trail and future park. This significant green space, easily accessible from the street and sidewalk, is a flexible venue for community events, farmer's market, public art and performance. Shoreline City Hall acheived LEED Gold for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporting a variety of other sustainable strategies.