Metropolitan Market Crown Hill

Cushing Terrell partnered with longtime client, Metropolitan Market, to bring their global-inspired take on grocery to the rapidly transforming Crown Hill neighborhood of North Seattle. Their new location transformed a more than 30-year-old building into a beautiful, modern shopping destination — one that both fits the context of the up-and-coming neighborhood and ties into Metropolitan Market’s brand.

An adaptive reuse project, the 38,200 sq. ft. building underwent significant improvements to bring about a warm, welcoming, and friendly aesthetic. The project comprised significant renovations to the south and west façades and a full interior build-out, which included the addition of partition walls, interior finishes, new fixtures, and equipment installation. Significant improvements were made to the loading dock to enhance delivery speed, safety, and efficiency. Additionally, the city required new electrical, water, and gas services that were adeptly incorporated into the design.

The limitations of the existing site, a required change-of-use permit coupled with strict local codes, and site disturbance regulations were constraints that pushed the design team to approach the project with creativity and focus.

To satisfy transparency requirements on the street-facing façade (not a typical consideration of a grocery store) due to the change-of-use, the design team implemented a creative application of glazing and interior layout. The café and the deli kitchen are strategically located along this façade, which offers a unique window — literally and figuratively — into this part of a store. The result? There’s no other façade in the city quite like the one at Crown Hill’s Metropolitan Market.

Cushing Terrell also designed new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to modernize those critical elements and satisfy code requirements. Rooftop units were screened so as not to detract from the overall building design.

In line with Metropolitan Market’s sustainability goals, Cushing Terrell’s refrigeration team designed a CO2 system for the store, which provides a natural, low global warming potential alternative to synthetic refrigerants, one of the cleanest as far as the system design and the components required.

Although Metropolitan Market is designed to satisfy city codes and accommodate customers’ shopping needs, the overall project rises above the transactional.