Following the Alaskan Way Viaduct removal, the next phase of Waterfront projects will be set to begin one of which is the Overlook Walk. Designed for all ages and abilities, the Overlook Walk will provide a connection from Pike Place Market to the waterfront via a series of walkways that gradually slope, stairs, elevators, overlooks and places to linger along the walk.
Starting at Pike Place’s new MarketFront expansion, the walk will go over the rebuilt Alaskan Way below and make its way to stairs oriented toward Pier 62/63 and the new aquarium plaza. The Overlook Walk should make it easier for Pike Place’s 10 million annual visitors to find their way to the waterfront and those visiting the waterfront to make their way up to the market. The Overlook Walk is being designed by New York City firm James Corner Field Operations with the Miller Hull Partnership. The project is set to complete its design process in 2019 with construction set to begin in 2021 and open to the public in 2022.
Within the aquarium, plaza will be the new Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion, designed by LMN Architects, which will expand the aquarium’s exhibits and add 50,000 square feet of visitor space. Among the hundreds of gallons of new tank space will be a 350,000 gallon warm-water tank that will be home to larger species including sharks.
Although we are inching closer to the removal of the viaduct, we still have a way to go before the city will finally be reconnected to the waterfront.