A couple weeks ago I spent a day up in Seattle as part of a week long visit from a friend which had us touring projects all over the NW. The first project on our list in the emerald city was the Washington Mutual Green Roof.  We got lucky in that we had good weather, slightly overcast with some sun breaks but no rain.  I actually like rain but it definitely puts a damper on a walking tour.  We met up with a few colleagues just before noon to walk up there as a group.  One person in the group had a friend still working in the tower and was getting us security access.  Sadly, as one of the last people in what she was calling a “waste land”,  she said she would be laid off in two months.    

We had to show our I.D.’s to get a security clearance tag allowing us onto the elevators.  (Which reminds me, I still have a German drivers license and I really need to get a Washington one!) We arrived on the 17th floor to find it pretty empty.  It was a lounge area but the televisions had been taken out and all of the outdoor furniture had been taken away on the roof deck as well. No one was sure exactly why or what was to become of the furniture.

The wooden deck was just a huge, open expanse of wood with a lonely fireplace at one end.  With the tables and chairs gone, it felt really sad and depressing.  But then again, I’m sure that isn’t a feeling merely confined to the 17th floor.  

Aside from the missing furniture, the roof looked pretty good. Well, except for the missing glass panel and the huge swath of soil which had been planted in Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’.  But that last part was the designers fault. Not the best decision to plant such a large area in a perennial, a good lesson. I’m not sure what happened to the glass.  

It was really interesting to see how the lights had been chosen to fit in with the Mexican Feather Grass when at it’s full height.  But at this time, with the grass all cut back from the winter, the lights were a bit more obvious. Even though the sweeping field of gold is gorgeous, I kinda liked the winter version of multi colored tufts of green and gold too. It’s kind of a fun texture.

I sure do like the flagstones moving through the grass and how the stones interface with the wood decking. It’s such a pleasant atmosphere. I would love to just sit in with the grasses and eat my lunch. And it’s nice how this area is set back from the edge so it doesn’t interfere with the viewing area around the perimeter.

The original plan was to grab lunch at 16th floor buffet and then eat on the roof deck but with no tables on the roof and the buffet apparently drastically cut back, we decided to head for Pike Place Market. I couldn’t help but wonder about the future of such a lovely green roof. If use of the deck was no longer encouraged, what was to become of it after all the people left?