Earlier this month
we had a look at Earle Duff’s J.C. Penney rendering from Northgate Mall. Here we are with more Duff stuff from the 1960′s. Once again Mr.
Duff mixes architectural rendering with art while representing architect John Graham. The acrylic p
ainting shows a concept of the Washington Plaza Hotel, now known in more cirular form as the Westin Hotel.
Click for the ultra high-res glory.
Architectural drawing of Washington Plaza Hotel (Seattle, Washington). 1965. Acrylic on board by Earle Duff for John Graham & Company. The Washington Plaza Hotel opened in June 1969, its original circular tower becoming part of the Westin
Hotel in 2001.
Image courtesy U.W. University Libraries Digital Collection.
“A rainy night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets…”
I think I prefer this design to the “corncob” design they went with instead.
I also prefer this this Vegas look to what was built. It looks like this design would have saved the Ben Franklin Hotel from being demolished. The blood red sky is a nice touch too.
Dunno, I’m pretty partial to the Corncob look.
When I was a kid, the convenience stores (they were not all 7-11s then) had round bubble gum dispensers on their counters that looked exactly like the Westin tower. I remember always thinking of the gum racks when I saw the Westin and vice versa. Does anyone else remember those? Louis? Jana? Shannon? Help me out.
Even though this is an artist’s concept, it still has all the great Seattle touches: green and white street signs, distinctive streetlight bases, monrail, Times Building. I really like ’60s advertising art, because of the great use of colors, but also it reminds me of when I was a kid in the ’60s!!
The Ben Franklin was not demolished until the second tower was built. It’s interesting to contemplate how that expansion would have looked with this as the starting point.
Nice rendering, beats the corncobs, but there was a rather magnificent theatre there, I’ll take the Orpheum and put that hotel over the demolished foundations of lesser buildings nearby.
Right on, NickBob. The sight of the Orpheum’s marquis all lit up at the “bottom” of Fourth Avenue was something to behold, with the Great Northern goat above and to the left.
Wow – I had forgotten about the Copper Kitchen…
I much prefer this design to the corncob. I am still in mourning for the beautiful Orpheum Theater where I saw the Beatles movie “Help” at least 10 times! Also remember the Copper Kitchen. Does anyone else remember the Green Onion restaurant also in the old Westlake mall under the monorail? I also have fond memories of cups of coffee at the Pepper Mill restaurant after taking in a movie at the theaters on 5th ave in the 60s and 70s.
Was it GO Guy or Bartell’s upstairs in the wedge-shaped building? Also in the neighborhood were Ben Paris, and of course Fidelity Lane Tickets. Until the 80′s you could go to Fidelity, and usually get the first tickets to go on sale to shows, thanks to the Vroman’s connections. The Bon ticket office was usually good, too, and the Dog House for Sonics tickets.
I worked for Westin, first in the Seattle Westin, then at Westin Corporate across the street. Several years later, i was a Starwood employee, back at corporate for the sad dismantling of a good company. I saw a lot of historical stuff through the years, but never this: What a shame it was never built – it’s much better than what is there now.
And for what it’s worth, I would much rather have seen the Orpheum preserved, and the Washington Plaza built in the block to the east. And as far as I’m concerned, the Westlake Plaza/shopping center was one of the worst mistakes Seattle ever made. The old Westlake had a gritty urban charm that this city sadly lacks.
Bartell’s restaurant (it had one back when) was upstairs (above the drug store) in the old Westlake triangle building. GO Guy was over at 3rd and Union.
I agree with Winnie the Westlake Mall as it is now holds absolutely no attraction for me and adds nothing but a shopping mall atmosphere to downtown. Also, I enjoyed many a meal in the restaurant upstairs at Bartells, also remember that they had a lunch counter downstairs in the main store.
There was a shoe store at the corner of 3rd and Pine – was it Leed’s? Until the 80′s, there was a second drugstore near that corner as well: Owl Drugs. I think they had a small counter inside where you could sit and get a soda.
I do remember The Green Onion. When the people building Westlake Mall came in and started to demo everything, I encouraged/ nagged my then-boyfriend to see about getting the restaurant’s neon (his family had owned the place in the 40′s or 50′s)and he ended up buying it for a song. He had to take it down himself but it was worth it.
I’m going to disagree with most here. I like the circular tower design. This rendering, as someone said, has a Las Vegas look. Perhaps, but Vegas in 1965, not today. If this was in Vegas it would have been imploded years ago.