Seattle Opera Expansion
![Interior view of the Seattle Opera Expansion's lobby and reception desk](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Seattle-Opera_Cover-jpg.webp)
Team
Architect
NBBJ
Contractor
Lease Crutcher Lewis
Stats
PROJECT TYPE
Performing Arts
COMPLETION
2018
PROJECT SIZE
103,000 ft²
MKA ROLE
Structural Engineer
Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Expansion
Built to replace the half-century-old Mercer Arena in the Seattle Center Theater District, this four-story, 65-ft-tall performance facility includes rehearsal spaces, production and costume storage, an expanded loading dock, administrative areas, and a large public lobby to accommodate a communal theater. Located immediately east of McCaw Hall, the new facility is designed for seismic isolation from that structure. MKA’s design incorporates auger cast pile foundations, steel framing, and concentrically-braced special frames as the building’s primary structural system. The project is certified LEED Silver. ![Image of Seattle Opera Expansion](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N32_indesign-jpg.webp)
![Image of Seattle Opera Expansion](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N25_indesign-768x512.webp)
![Image of Seattle Opera Expansion](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N27_indesign-768x1152.webp)
![Image of Seattle Opera Expansion](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N57_indesign-768x1153.webp)
![Interior view of the Seattle Opera Expansion's lobby and reception desk](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N46_indesign-768x511.webp)
![Image of Seattle Opera Expansion](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N51_indesign-768x511.webp)
![Image of Seattle Opera Expansion](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N32_indesign-768x578.webp)
![Image of Seattle Opera Expansion](https://www.mka.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/A2771_00_N44_indesign-768x511.webp)
Seattle Opera Expansion
Image Credit: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Awards
Build Washington 2019 Construction Excellence Award, Private Building, $20 Million-$50 Million - The Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGC)