kexp

How can a radio station become a community landmark and gathering place?

KEXP is a local Seattle radio station with a long history as a cornerstone of the Seattle music scene. It is a champion of emerging artists and considers itself an arts organization with a mission to enrich people's lives by championing music and discovery. However, it's previous physical space was cramped and closed, serving none of its users in a way conducive to its mission. This renovation to the Northwest Rooms at Seattle Center gave KEXP a new home for employees, artists, music lovers, and the greater arts community.

SETTING
SkB Architects

ROLE
associate designer
 

KEXP's New Home was a 6-year project with a massive capital campaign and design effort. As part of the team at SkB Architects, I was involved in:

• research and design development for a public-facing radio station informed by user needs

• renovation of an old warehouse building and working with historic preservation guidelines

• design and documentation of a phased construction process

• design of sub-tenant spaces in the Gathering Space

• design of graphic materials for the Grand Opening and other fundraising purposes

For a comprehensive story of KEXP and their journey to Seattle Center, scroll down to the Story Mural I produced to for the Grand Opening event! 

Want to see more? 

The New Home presented a unique opportunity to create space for the entire KEXP community under one roof. We designed spaces based on the needs and goals of the following user groups:

• artists

• KEXP employees

• DJs

• listeners

• donors

• the Seattle public

I created this graphic as a summary of my team's design work, to communicate to key stakeholders and to the public how all the different user groups interact with the space. 

We were challenged with how to document the project in a way that could be both bid and built in phases as funding allowed, so that even before project was completed it could be a functional, delightful experience. 

I created this graphic to communicate the phased approach we designed for the KEXP New Home to be built. It is a visual summary of the large set of construction documents and drawings, used to communicate with the client, the contractor, and consultants. 

Phase 1 included: exterior and structural renovations, all common spaces, office spaces, conference rooms, music library, DJ booth, production rooms, the recording studio, and the gathering space

Phase 2 included: private offices, DJ prep booths and lounge, green room and artist's lounge, showers, additional production rooms

Phase 3 included: additional office space and music production spaces, instrument storage, food and beverage sub-tenant in the gathering space

I developed conceptual renderings for key spaces and experiences. These images allowed our team to get buy in and feedback from stakeholders and users; they also allowed the design team to test out design ideas in an experiential way. 

The gathering space is the central space where the entire KEXP community comes together. It is a transformative space - sometimes quiet work lounge, sometimes concert venue, sometimes an afternoon coffee spot. Below are two images of the finished space, at different times of day. 

For the Grand Opening event, I was personally responsible for the following graphic work: 

TOUR MAP AND PROGRAM

The program was used for the Grand Opening to orient attendees and showcase events going on throughout the day.

STORY MURAL

This 9-panel,  6-foot heigh mural describes the history of KEXP, important milestone events, the design and construction process, and all the features of the New Home. It was displayed at the Grand Opening and continues to be used at KEXP events.