The Seattle Art Museum is one of the foremost cultural institutions in the Pacific Northwest. A significant increase in the museum’s holdings and a visionary public-private partnership were the catalysts for the construction of a new 16-story building. The 450,000sf expansion and renovation project allows SAM to grow incrementally, converting lease space to new exhibition galleries over a period of 20 years.

The new building sits on First Avenue overlooking Elliott Bay. It is primarily a we...