Glassy!
That is some sweet etched glass creeping up the side of the Olive 8 Hyatt Hotel/condo project at 8th and Olive downtown. The fade of the etch makes it look like the building is framed with massive white tubes — I like it.
When completed, the 39-story tower’s relatively high floor-to-floor spacing will push it to 455 feet, which will make it the tallest residential tower in Seattle, edging out 2nd and Pine by a mere 15 feet.
Like the 1 Hotel and Residences (which has been put on hold), this project is all about luxury. But unlike the 1, it makes no claims about being green — I couldn’t find a single mention of the word on the web site. Apparently the Olive 8 developers do not believe that green is a worthwhile marketing tool for luxury housing. That’s unfortunate, but perhaps more honest than pretending that tacking on a few green features can make up for the massive environmental footprint of the lifestyles upon which such a building depends.