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Student Work

Course Description

FIRE AND FUEL

Students:Claudine Montakhab
Studio: ARCH 402 — Kathryn Merlino — Spring 2025
Location: Seattle, Washington

Project Description

This project reimagines the former naval fire and gas stations at Magnuson Park, transforming them into vibrant community spaces that include a grocery store, welcome center, and business hub. At its core, the design seeks to connect visitors more deeply with both the site’s history and its evolving role as a civic landmark.

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Plan Drawings.

Drawing inspiration from the existing porte cochere, the design introduces a series of arches and partitions, built from salvaged wood, that guide people along loose paths through the landscape and into the buildings. This new material palette contrasts with the existing brick, underscoring the dialogue between past and present. The surrounding grounds are re-envisioned as three distinct gardens, each reflecting a different chapter in the park’s history.

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Site plan and Section.

As visitors move through the site, their experience of the tower shifts dramatically. From afar, the tower dominates the skyline; up close, the building mass obscures it; and inside, the atrium offers framed glimpses and shadows. Finally, at the viewing platform, the tower’s height is felt as a striking negative space, reframing the structure as part of the interior experience. This layered journey redefines how people see and inhabit Magnuson Park’s historic landmarks.

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Sun and Entry Diagrams.

 

Images from FIRE AND FUEL.