Breaking the horizon around Anchorage, ridges and peaks of rock, ice, and glacier rise from the tundra. The sun, sometimes shining all day and sometimes for only hours, refracts through these icefields and shimmers in a bright and deep blue glow. This beauty of light and ice inspired the form and materials of 601W.
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The original building here stood for 45 years before an earthquake cracked its structure. Our team at Perkins&Will sought to not only retrofit the existing building, but to reimagine it as a new modern landmark in downtown Anchorage. New floor area was added at each floor to create an ice-like geometry, and the existing envelope was replaced with a triple-pane curtain wall to withstand the cold Alaskan winters. Skylights at the plaza level are shaped and lit to continue the icy glow onto the ground plane.
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The building is set to finish construction in 2023. I worked on this project along with a talented team at Perkins&Will. The developer is United Management Group, LLC, and the contractor is Neeser Construction.