Pioneer Square Alleys

Project Title:Pioneer Square Alleys
Landscape Architect: MIG|SvR
Category: General Design, Public Ownership
Location: Seattle, WA
Description:
The transformation of Pioneer Square’s Nord and Pioneer Passage alleys has created a high‐quality, active, and engaging public space linkage, directly connecting Pioneer Square Park, Occidental Park, and the First Hill Streetcar. Inspired by the rich masonry materials of the Richardsonian Romanesque building facades, a mix of stone and brick pavers combine to define a one‐of‐a‐kind paving approach for these alleys. 

Walking through them today, visitors are likely to smell tacos al pastor being served at an outdoor bar, hear a wedding party’s rapturous laughter coming from the alley‐facing event space, feel the heat of molten glass as craftspeople use the alley to pull hand‐crafted, artisanal rods, or watch mechanics fixing bikes in a back‐alley bike shop. 

Beyond these two alleys’ project boundaries, their success has implications for the entire historic neighborhood, establishing an authentic, consistent, adopted standard for all of Pioneer Square’s nineteen alleys.

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