Aerial view of Overlook Walk, September 2024. Courtesy of Tim Rice. Editor’s Note: This is a blog post from the Waterfront Seattle Program. The Waterfront Seattle Program is a collaboration between the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and other Seattle departments including the Mayor’s Office, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Planning and Community Development, and Parks and Recreation.
At a glance:
- View the Overlook Walk construction timelapse video from July 2023 to now.
- Learn more about the new permanent art features at Overlook Walk:
- MTK Matriarchs: https://waterfrontseattle.org/art/mtk-matriarchs
- Ann Hamilton: https://waterfrontseattle.org/art/ann-hamilton
The Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects is opening the highly anticipated Overlook Walk on Friday, October 4. Located where the Alaskan Way Viaduct once stood, this elevated park will provide all-new pedestrian connections between Pike Place Market, downtown, the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion and the entire 20-acre Waterfront Park. Its distinct curves and hourglass shape make it unmistakable from any angle and its incredible 360-degree views out to Elliott Bay, the Olympics, Mt. Rainier, and Seattle’s downtown skyline, are certain to make it one of Seattle’s most visited landmarks.
Join the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and Friends of Waterfront Park on Friday, October 4 at 4:30 PM to celebrate the opening!
View looking southwest at Overlook Walk from the connection to MarketFront.
“Waterfront Park, particularly Overlook Walk, will be a dynamic landmark that honors our past, highlights Seattle’s spirit of innovation, and welcomes everyone to experience the city’s natural beauty and vibrant culture. This once-in-a-generation transformation represents a powerful reconnection of space and people, as visitors, residents, workers, and families will enjoy seamless connections between downtown, Pike Place Market, and the entire Waterfront Park—the entryway to our region,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Thanks to the ‘Space Needle Thinking’ of many visionaries over the years, this redevelopment will be a truly transformative change for Seattleites and visitors alike.”
A Celebration on the Horizon
Overlook Walk will be open to the public at 4:30 PM on Friday, October 4, 2024. The Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and Friends of Waterfront Park are thrilled to invite everyone to come celebrate this opening with food, music, entertainment, arts & crafts, 360-degree views, fire pits, and more!
“The opening of Overlook Walk is a significant step toward fulfilling the vision of a fully connected and accessible waterfront for all residents. This iconic location offers an unparalleled experience and will be a place of gathering, exploration, and reflection for generations to come. We encourage people to come back again and again as the full park comes to life.” Said Joy Shigaki, President and CEO, Friends of Waterfront Park.
A Transformation on the Waterfront
The new elevated park marks a major step toward full completion of Seattle’s waterfront transformation as part of the City’s Waterfront Seattle Program—the largest collection of civic projects in Seattle since the 1962 World’s Fair. The completion of Overlook Walk required innovative engineering, community collaboration, hard work, and dedication. The City shares its immense gratitude for everyone who has contributed to this monumental milestone in Seattle’s history.
“The transformation of Seattle’s Waterfront was initially envisioned with a talented leadership team at NYC-based landscape architecture firm Field Operations, in partnership with the City and many civic and community leaders over the years, with the primary goal of reconnecting our beautiful city back to the sea, and through Overlook Walk we have accomplished just that,” said Angela Brady, Director of the City’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects. “I am so proud of our incredibly talented team of designers, engineers, contractors, laborers, construction management staff, and artists for successfully delivering such a uniquely challenging project. I want each of them to know how thankful and grateful we are for their work and I sincerely hope all of them have enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build such a special place in the heart of Seattle.”
Key Features: What To Expect When You Visit Overlook Walk
Overlook Walk includes key features that visitors can enjoy, whether they are passing through the park or taking in the incredible 360-degree views out to Elliott Bay, the Olympics, Mt. Rainier, and Seattle’s downtown skyline. The park offers ample space to relax with seating, landscaping and a covered area under a canopy. It even has a short slide and climbing wall for children to play.
At the top of Overlook Walk, just below its connection point to the Pike Place MarketFront, a Bluff Walk pathway includes a variety of local landscapes that mimic plants and trees you might find hiking in the mountains that surround Seattle. The vegetation changes as you move from one elevation to the other, reflecting the natural environment, from grasses to shrubs to ferns and other under story plants livening up the edges of Overlook Walk.
For example, at the Bluff Walk, you’ll find notable plants such as Vine Maple, Incensed Cedar, Thimbleberry and Western Sword Fern and as you walk to the west from there, you’ll find Vine Maple, Dogwood, Oregon Grape and Salal. As you descend towards the Park Promenade, you’ll find Lupine, Oregon Grape and Nootka Rose along the staircase.
Supporting a More Accessible Downtown
Connecting east and west is not complete without improving accessibility for all. Overlook Walk bridges the nearly 100 vertical foot gap between Pike Place Market and the waterfront and provides direct access to people walking and rolling between the waterfront, Pike Place Market, Western Ave, Pier 62, the Seattle Aquarium, the cruise ship terminals and beyond without having to cross the street at Alaskan Way. The series of sloped pathways and stairway connections are lined with terraced landscapes and include landings for gatherings.
Accessibility was a design priority and there are two elevator connections, including the recently updated Pike Place Market garage elevator on the southeast side and a new elevator at the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion on the southwest side. These accessible route options will welcome people of all ages and abilities, with places for all to walk, roll, sit, or play.
How It Was Built
Construction of Overlook Walk started in summer 2022 in the footprint of the former Alaskan Way Viaduct between Pike Place Market and the Seattle Aquarium. Many construction feats, and a total of 225,000 construction labor hours, were required to complete the nearly 60,000 square foot elevated park.
Some highlights include:
- Constructing 17 reinforced concrete columns up to 15 feet in diameter extending deep underground. Fun fact: Overlook Walk is composed of two bridges made to look seamlessly like one!
- Installing 29 precast girders to support the Bluff Walk connection at MarketFront. Some are as long as 65 feet and weigh up to 105,000 lbs.
- Adding 168,000 feet or 31.8 miles of post tension steel strands to strengthen the structure.
- Planting 75 trees and over 9,000 native plants to bring the native greenery of the Pacific Northwest to Overlook Walk.
Permanent Public Artworks to Come
Two new permanent public artworks will be installed at Overlook Walk by early 2025. One of them is a large-scale artwork on Overlook Walk’s Salish Steps that honors the Native history of the waterfront by MTK Matriarchs, a team of indigenous artists including Malynn Foster (Squaxin Island Tribe and Skokomish Tribe), Tamela Laclair (Skokomish Indian Tribe) and Kimberly Deriana (Mandan and Hidatsa Nation). The artwork will resemble an open cross-warped twined basket in honor of the matriarchs that have woven and carved to keep their traditions, teachings and technologies alive.
The second artwork to be installed at Overlook Walk is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Ann Hamilton. Hamilton is developing artwork that will be visible through the perforated screen located below Overlook Walk. The artwork will include marionette-like figures of undulating cloth, animated by a system of overhead cables that will be visible through the perforated screen. The collection of these individual elements suspended in the space will greet and witness the street, the water, and the setting western sun.
Operations, Maintenance and Security
Long known for their ability to successfully maintain and operate large civic spaces, the City’s Seattle Center will provide dedicated maintenance and safety teams to ensure Overlook Walk is well cared for and safe from the moment it opens. Overlook Walk will be operational during Waterfront Park hours from 7 AM – 10 PM.
“Seattle Center brings a deep commitment to creating safe, welcoming and dynamic public spaces for the public to enjoy. We are proud to serve as the City’s lead department in operating the new waterfront, bringing our expertise to the operations of Overlook Walk along with the park promenade and other new public spaces. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that the Overlook Walk is well cared for, feels safe from day one, and is a place where visitors can relax, connect, and take in the incredible views of Elliott Bay, the skyline and the mountains. We are excited to help make the Overlook Walk a much-loved part of Seattle’s new Waterfront Park” said Marshall Foster, Director of Seattle Center.
Reach out to the Seattle Center team at waterfrontpark@seattle.gov if you have any questions about maintenance, operations, or safety.
Meet Us At Overlook Walk Starting October 4
Overlook Walk redefines how people can connect between the waterfront and downtown. The Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects is excited to open Overlook Walk and welcome the region and the world to this unique and soon-to-be favorite landmark for generations to come.
To learn more:
- More information on the celebration on opening day at the Friends of Waterfront Park website.
- Contact the Waterfront Seattle team at: info@waterfrontseattle.org or (206) 499-8040.
- Find more information about the Overlook Walk project: https://waterfrontseattle.org/waterfront-projects/overlook-walk
- Learn more about the permanent art features at Overlook Walk:
- MTK Matriarchs: https://waterfrontseattle.org/art/mtk-matriarchs
- Ann Hamilton: https://waterfrontseattle.org/art/ann-hamilton