Seattle’s premier office tower serves as a connection point linking the new waterfront, Belltown, Pike Place Market, and surrounding downtown neighborhoods
Skanska, a leading development and construction firm, announced today that it had achieved the “topping out” milestone for 2+U, placing the highest piece of steel on the 38-story Class-A office tower in the heart of Seattle’s central business district.
“Our team is proud to come one step closer to delivering on our mission to create an experience our tenants, community, and city desire most,” said Murphy McCullough, EVP for Skanska Commercial Development in Seattle. “It’s been remarkable to see Skanska's construction professionals bring to life our shared vision for this prominent downtown location.”
Located at the corner of Second Avenue and University Street, the 686,000 square-foot office tower sits adjacent to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) and Benaroya Hall, and is just steps from the new waterfront. 2+U is lifted 85 feet off the ground to create a pedestrian-friendly urban village under the building. This open-air community gathering space will connect tenants, neighbors and visitors with 17,000 square feet of retail, arts and cultural spaces. Through its thoughtful design, 2+U becomes a connection linking the new waterfront, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, and surrounding downtown neighborhoods.
To achieve this milestone to form the building’s structure required:
- 42,700 work hours to complete the core and frame
- 280,000 square feet of glass
- 12,640 cubic yards of concrete in the core
- 5,980 tons of steel, 42 times as much as the Seattle Great Wheel
- 245 miles of electrical wire
- A team of 215 construction professionals at peak
For additional topping out stats, please check out our infographic here.
For a video with more details on how this office tower will sit a full 85 feet off the ground, creating an open retail, arts, and cultural plaza beneath it, click here.
Other Skanska developments in the Seattle area include Stone34, the global headquarters for Brooks Sports, which was the first project to meet the City of Seattle’s requirements for the city’s Deep Green Pilot Program, making it one of the greenest buildings in the region. At 400 Fairview, Skanska assembled a Market Hall with mix of desirable local retailers, including a rooftop restaurant with unparalleled views. And Alley 111 is a 260-unit multi-family project with 6,000 square feet of retail in the community of Bellevue.
Skanska’s last local land purchase occurred in July for the land parcel located at NE 8th and 108th in the Bellevue’s downtown core. The land parcel is ideally located near major Bellevue employers, including Microsoft’s Bellevue Campus, Amazon, Salesforce, Paccar, Symetra, Expedia and Concur. In October 2017, Skanska purchased the 2200 Block, a 19,440 square-foot parcel comprised of three properties on 4th Avenue in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, which is currently being designed and entitled for a 300-foot multi-family tower.