Mama Tower’s design proposes a unique way for a new high-rise condominium tower to knit into the existing urban pattern and form of its block in downtown Seattle. The form responds to Seattle’s Design Guidelines in a unique and meaningful way by unifying the base and towers and adding variety to the street.

Composed of two towers – one 484-foot high-rise and one 160-foot low-rise – the taller “Mama” tower reflects modern high-rise development while the smaller “Baby” tower enhances the visual connection to smaller scale, historic structures. This design responds to community concerns raised during previous conceptual design by another architect for an office building. The issues include improving alley function and relieving massing in the mid-block. Alley functionality is improved by allowing an additional eight feet of alley width nearly the entire length of the site for deliveries. Another 13 feet allows the addition of a porte-cochère and residential “back of house” presence along the alley. A through lobby adds “eyes on the street” for a safer, active alley.