Downtown Retail Streetscape for Club Monaco

When Club Monaco claimed this retail building in downtown Seattle, their goal was to deliver lush elegance to the exterior of a building with a crisp, contemporary façade. The initial vision was to create a softer and greener look than the average urban storefront, drawing the attention of those that pass by.

The verdant exterior plantings not only support this early concept, but also serve as a welcome buffer from busy Pine Street. Rich with sophisticated planting, this streetscape not only stands out, but also offers protected, yet inviting, café seating.

Giving a new shape to the existing linear concrete planter and adding plinths for oversized pots was a great first step. Populating these areas with a variety of textural plantings makes this area feel unique. The refined plant palette stands out in the urban setting, and many of the plants were installed at a significant size — further augmented by the plinths — to enhance the immediate effect.

The medium-height, linear planting was perfect for creating the lush buffer for the streetside café component, but alone it wouldn’t have accomplished the effect the retailer desired.

Wrapping the entry wall with a mix of climbing hydrangeas and confederate jasmine vines delivered the final impact. The vines climb stainless steel mesh panels creating a vegetated wall that rises above the city sidewalk offering a living gift to Seattle’s retail core.