Laserfiche WebLink
City of Tukwila My WebLink |HelpSearch Tips |About |Sign Out
east frontage of the Library to provide an outdoor activity area adjacent to the interior "Community <br />Mosaic" and to expand the potential variety of Library activities. Brightly colored moveable furniture <br />is also proposed for this area. See pages 15 -18, Attachment A. Although the outdoor terrace is <br />separated from the Plaza by a low wall, visual and physical access between these two outdoor <br />spaces is maintained. <br />Interior areas, such as the computer bar, and magazine reading area, considered to have the highest <br />activity, are oriented along the Tukwila International Boulevard and South 144th Street frontages of <br />the Library, with extensive glass allowing visual engagement of pedestrians, especially during the <br />evening hours when the building is lighted inside. See also the floor plan on page 4 of Attachment A. <br />A 10 by 10 foot square bay window projects from the west fagade and is wrapped in painted metal <br />panels in a jewel tone that repeats the colored glass mullions on the east elevation. The internal <br />space enclosed by the bay window is proposed as a children's reading area. <br />There are a number of instances however where the plan, form and internal organization of the <br />Library building design weakens the integration of the building into its context and is in non- <br />conformance with the Tukwila international Boulevard Design Manual. These instances are <br />discussed in the Site Design categories below. <br />b. Relationship to Street Front <br />The new Tukwila Library fronts on two public streets, Tukwila International Boulevard and South <br />144th Street, as well as an interior street, which provides vehicle access and parking along the <br />building's north side. In conformance to Design Criterion b.1, the building is positioned to create a <br />distinct street edge, and provides no parking between the structure and the public streets. In order to <br />meet the Criterion b.2 directive to "orient at least one building entry to a major public street," the only <br />public entry to the Library is oriented to the Outdoor Plaza, on the east side of the building and away <br />from the public rights of way. The entrance is clad in glass on its east and south sides so that the <br />entry is visible from S. 144th Street. The purpose of the directive, as noted in the Design Manual, is <br />"To ensure that building entrances are a prominent element of the streetscape." <br />The brightly colored bay window located on the west facade in the children's section draws visual <br />attention from TIB in the manner of a prominent entry, but offers no access to the building such as is <br />directed in the Design Manual. <br />The roofline rises to 24 feet on the Plaza side and then drops down to about 17 feet on the TIB side. <br />The roof will be planted with sedums in order to create a "green roof," that is, a roof that supports the <br />environmental objectives for the site. The sedums slow down and minimize the release of storm <br />water from the roof. <br />On the west facade, a perforated metal screen is proposed and is a significant part of the west <br />fagade's architectural character. This fagade is critical to both the daytime and night time presence <br />of the building. The intent of the screen is to lessen the glare into the library. To address concerns <br />of visual transparency along this street facade relative to the finished floor elevation, use of a screen <br />and roof profile, the applicant has submitted cross sections, see page 7 of Attachment A. The cross <br />L13 -017 — Tukwila Library Page 1 7 <br />