I think Megan who does PR for Olive 8 should just write an Olive 8 blog but until that day comes I’ll re-post the occasional PR missive sent my way.
Today she sent over some photos of the blue roof:
Olive 8’s blue-glazed “eyebrow”, or roof canopy, is currently being installed. These ten-foot sheets of deep blue blend seamlessly into the (sometimes) blue sky above and in the evening – with the help of a continuous strip of up-lighting – will glow cool blue. I had the chance to snap some photos (included below) of this install last Friday – one of the few sunny days we’ve had recently.
The vertical steel supports that hold this blue glass canopy nearly seven feet past the roof edge were installed recently. The overall height of the supports had to be increased to accommodate a 360-degree revolving window washing stage, which must be able to lift up and over the roof parapet and travel around the building face.
Click through for more photos:
Yay or nay on the roof?
Popularity: 13% [?]
19 responses so far ↓
1 Vanderleun // Aug 27, 2008 at 11:12 am
Oh this little item is going to be great when they come plunging down in an earthquake. Think of them as merciful decapitation units so the unfortunate citizens under them don’t have to suffer weeks without Fiji water.
2 jo // Aug 27, 2008 at 12:46 pm
and the space needle will come falling down next earthquake too, right? ;)
seriously awesome views from the top there
3 The MD // Aug 27, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Awesome views? For how long? I’ve already toured the building and was overwhelmingly underwhelmed. Many of the views will be going away in a handful of years. Odd spaces, ins-outs, 45 degree angles, horrid horrid horrid. Seattle seriously needs to get with the times and get some decent architecture, as well as decent finishes. Its kind of sad to think this is one of the “best” residential buildings Seattle has to offer. Its all about the smoke and mirrors and offering seemingly “ultra high-end” finishes, but in fact they are mid-line at best. This building was cool - 10 years ago.
Ugh, people in this town need to get out more and see what other cities of comparable size are offering in way of downtown residential living. Heck, drive 2 1/2 North to Vancouver. You’ll be pissed off and scratching your heads, and that’s a promise.
4 Vanderleun // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I sincerely hope all sky dwelling plutocrats are at home for the Big One.
5 The MD // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I don’t wish harm to anyone. I only wish our city would get with the times. Has anyone considered why Seattle doesn’t have world-renowned architects and designers being commissioned to design our buildings (like any other city of our size or even smaller)? I’m not talking about local firms… I’m talking about truly renowned architects. Its because developers here are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP, and the marketers perpetuate it. Marketers like Jo.
6 The MD // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Ooops, I meant marketers like “Jo.” You know who you are, and so do I :-)
7 Vanderleun // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Well I don’t really wish harm, obviously. But then again my power over earthquakes is somewhat limited.
As for the question, “Has anyone considered why Seattle doesn’t have world-renowned architects and designers being commissioned to design our buildings…”
I’d say it is because, even though we like to huff and puff about our town, the truth is we’re really rather second or third rate when it comes to cities.
Tattoos and facial piercings, however, we’re number one!
8 The MD // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:24 pm
LOL Vanderleun, I would have to agree with you. Seattle is truly a second-tier city that tries so hard to be something it isn’t. Trying will never get us to a world-class status. Developers and marketers know we are a second-tier city and therefore make offerings that are not quite up to par with other cities. These offerings they make us LOOK good from a distance to a naive buyers’ pool we have in Seattle, but up close, its crap. Cheap crap at that. Our architecture simply does not stand the test of time, nor does it push the limits of design. Boxy, boring, bland, and dated is what we keep ending up with in our city.
9 The MD // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:26 pm
The only way to become a first-rate city is to commission those from outside that understand thoughtful and good design for everyday living. Oh, and to get some better city planners for everything from public transit to community infrastructure that sustatins a truly livable downtown.
10 Vanderleun // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Downtown, schmowntown. This is a city structured around neighborhoods — Queen Anne, Madrona, etc. That’s where the interesting older housing stock is because it hasn’t been rolled over by the effort to make the afterdark no-mans land of downtown attractive. Transit won’t do it. Paul Allen can’t do it. What makes for interesting downtowns in cities is not planning and streetcars but longterm affordability to a wide diversity of people. The idea you can plan this is very, very oversold. And puhlease do not drag the Portland comparisons into this. It is just as skeevy a place as Seattle except with more homeless.
The strength of Seattle, not to mention the interesting building stock, is in the unplanned sections of the neighborhoods. Downtown just sucks taxes and other needful things into a yuppiefied black hole and cruise ship offloading dock.
You want to see Seattle tank as far as livability goes? Pour billions into light rail and leave the streets full of holes. The future of this is plain to see if you simply view the SLUT and its passenger load as it cruises from steak house row to nowhere special.
11 The MD // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Again, I would agree with your points. But, I must say an example you used is the SLUT. That actually COULD have served a better purpose for downtown IF AND ONLY IF we had planners that knew what the F*%K they were doing. Its all such a waste of good money that could have otherwise gone to areas that truly needed it.
What do you propose needs to be done to make Seattle a first-tier city?
12 Vanderleun // Aug 27, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Well, you got me there with the SLUT. It just sets my teeth on fire everytime I see it roll by carrying its usual max load of three passengers.
What would make Seattle a first-tier city? Aside from about 3 million more residents, nothing.
Indeed,what we have to do is to strive to make Seattle a third-tier city. If we do that we’ll escape the ramping up of the population and have time to get good about doing what it takes to make a city livable instead of always boosting the joint with “amenities” — Safeco, etc.
We don’t want to be first tier and, having lived in New York, LA, London, Paris, and Rome, I know that to be true. First tier always means the people living there have to struggle for the small stuff — cabs, restaurant seats, studio apartments at $2,500 a month plus.
We don’t need to build up. We need to slim down. We need to let the larger cities have all the “fun.”
As for the developers currently stacking crap up all around the city I know that most of them are going to have to eat their shorts. And that’s a good thing.
Remember that the iron law of redevelopment is that no matter how ugly a building is that is torn down for a new building, the new building will be worse.
13 Matt // Aug 27, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Great conversation. I’d love to see some examples of condos in other cities that meet your design bar. I ask because I’m really only familiar with what we have here.
ps. JO is a condo consumer and is not a condo marketer.
14 EconE // Aug 27, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I think that you guys need to
1. go easy on JO…he’s not a marketer.
2. Look at some of the shlocky buildings all around the country.
I was recently checking out Miamicondoinvestments.com and if you look at the condos that they are throwing up in Florida you can see where some have even more pathetic finishing than the “faux” luxury finishes here in Seattle.
When I refer to “faux” luxury I’m talking about melamine cabinets as opposed to solid wood, cheap engineered “three strip” wood floors, bamboo floors, chintzy GE appliances, plastic bathtubs, cheap carpeting.
I could go on but…well…you get the point.
Then again…in Miami….you can buy a hi-rise unit with a view for a little over $200/sf.
Trump Towers on Riverside on the UWS of Manhattan are nothing overly special either.
The new high-rises in So-Cal are pretty much par for the course such as the ones in Marina Del Rey and Long Beach.
All in all…yeah…it’s pretty much sub-par everywhere.
But how else are the developers gonna pay for their new yachts?
15 jo // Aug 28, 2008 at 9:57 am
I’d be willing to wager if “The MD” was asked if the glass is half full of half empty, he’d answer half empty. Call it a hunch. :)
If you’re living in Seattle for its “urban living”, well you’re in the wrong place. What makes Seattle so special is the abundance of outdoor activities that surround the area. Skiing, hiking, fishing, biking, national parks, ect. You’ll never tire of outdoor things to do.
It’s sad so many get caught up as Seattle as a “city” and that’s it. Seattle is so much more than than urban living. We live in one of the most beautiful areas on this planet, yet how many actually go out and experience it?
As far as the balance between city “stuff” and outdoor recreation goes, IMO Seattle is world class. We may not have the restaurants, museums, or culture of a Paris or London, but we’re not exactly Columbus Ohio or Dallas either. Yet how many decent sized cities on this planet can hold a candle to the things you can do within just a few hours drive of Seattle? Not many.
Embrace what we have in the Seattle area. :)
16 EconE // Aug 28, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Excellent post Jo.
I’m not so sure that MD is a “glass half empty” kind of person as much as he’s a “What in the hell is in that glass?”.
17 Bob // Aug 28, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Agree with Jo for once. Seattle will never be big enough to be a “world-class” city and it shouldn’t try to be one. NYC, LA, SF Bay area are way too big for my taste.
18 Tim S // Sep 2, 2008 at 12:49 pm
In any regards, back on topic: I like the blue glass roof and cant wait to see more blue on this building like the drawings. It is shaping into a great addition to downtown. Thanks for hte photos!
19 dr w // Oct 15, 2008 at 5:09 pm
i work two blocks from O8, and can see the blue tinted glass from my office. i can tell you that they stick out like a sore thumb. they look cheap and blend neither seamlessly into the sky nor in relation to the color of the building.
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