The Spheres

This cluster of glass spheres enclosing a lush vegetated interior is now a Seattle icon.

The Spheres are part of a headquarters campus located in the center of a bustling downtown area. The iconic shapes enclose a lush interior vegetated landscape above and alongside finished spaces. Interior features include intensive landscaping over multiple stories, an indoor river and waterfall, a massive vegetated green wall, and a moat.

Accommodating these internal vegetated features required delicate and intricate approaches to the waterproofing design. 4EA teamed up with NBBJ to tackle some of the many challenging waterproofing conditions and help Find A Solution to achieve this one-of-a-kind space. We took into consideration the geometric complexities of the structural shape, including the challenges of managing multiple layers in small spots. The large amount of water in the interior space also required special consideration.

The team’s out-of-the-box thinking and specialized applications to the tree planters, water features, and irrigation on the green wall resulted in an indoor paradise respite in the middle of a distinctly urban setting.

• Commercial