Two Capitol Hill projects -- including a posh karaoke bar -- win architecture accolades

(Image: Rock Box/Benjamin Benschneider)

Capitol Hill is so stylish even our karaoke bars win architecture awards. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle chapter this week doled out a set of awards for 2011 recognizing projects "exhibiting design excellence in a broad array of building types." Two projects in our neck of the woods got the nod including Nagle Place's Rock Box karaoke bar:

Five projects received Merit Awards. They include Eagle Ridge by Gary Gladwish Architecture; PACCAR Hall, Foster School of Business by LMN Architects; Rock Box by mw|works; Sol Duc Cabin by Olson Kundig Architects; and SCCA Patient House by Weinstein A|U Architects + Urban Designers.

Understandably proud of the nod, Rock Box sent out some more information about its design:

Rock Box, designed by the architecture firm of mw|works, competed with more than 100 projects, such as libraries, single and multi-family residences, schools, Starbucks, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation campus, for the honor. More about the project from the architect.

“Designed within an existing early 20th century shell in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, this humble space was transformed into eleven Japanese-style private karaoke rooms, a small bar and a larger room for groups. Three inhabitable, weathered, blackened wood boxes delineate long corridors which lead you into private rooms saturated in color emanating from light washed walls and fabric seating. Slivers and fragments of colored light lead guests through the contrasting dark atmosphere of the public areas. Narrow windows reveal fragments of human activity from within. The new entrance was designed to activate a neighborhood alley, leaving the minimal Pine Street frontage to reveal the energy of a typical box interior in lieu of the entry. Switchable glazing capable of being transparent or translucent, and a user controlled exterior speaker give the singers inside this box the option of entertaining the late night pedestrians.”

2026 E Madison

Meanwhile, the other nod for a Capitol Hill-area project is of a more bittersweet variety. The  Weinstein A|U designed Jim Mueller  project at 2026 E Madison was recognized for its excellence -- but is also sadly still in the "unbuilt" category after years of being bogged down waiting for an improvement environment for construction:

The following three unbuilt projects received Citations:  2026 E Madison Mixed-Use Building by Weinstein A|U Architects + Urban Designers LLC; Samsung International Hospital by NBBJ; and, submitted to the “Idea” category, The Battery Street Tunnel Project by Mona Johnston.  

The project is planned to include 222 apartments and 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail space organized around a central courtyard that will be open to the public, with a main covered entrance off of Madison that will also provide sheltered outdoor space for cafes. The project is one of a handful of Mueller efforts on hold in the area .