SEATTLE — First Light, the city’s transformative new experiment in art and architecture, will be a condominium project unlike any other. As is revealed in the new art exhibition and presentation pavilions on the building site at Third Avenue and Virginia Street, First Light will bring artistry to the Seattle skyline and luxury, comfort and style to every suite.
From the glittering glass veils that will drape the base of the building and the Sky Pool, which seems to float off the edge of the 47th floor, every aspect of First Light seems to assert its stylish sophistication.
Walking into the lobby, every resident and every guest will know immediately that they have stepped into an elegant experiment in urban living. The first feature they’ll notice — next to the 24/7 concierge — will be the custom Fazioli grand piano, ebony-black but with a sparkling glass keyboard. Westbank, the developer of First Light, commissions a new Fazioli for each international project, connecting the piano maker with an artist or architect to design an instrument that best evokes the character of the whole architectural form. In this case, the designer is John Hogan, the artist whose veils and sculptures seem to emerge in every corner of First Light, inside and out.
The homes at First Light are both understated and spectacular. From the efficient, convenient, space-conscious studios to the largest penthouse, every suite is defined by clean lines and a palette of contemporary yet neutral colors that provides an unobtrusive backdrop for every design style. The Miele appliance package and B&B Italia-curated kitchen and bathroom cabinetry instantly telegraphs an ethos of excellence.
This standard prevails in every feature and amenity in the building. There is an over 3,000-square-foot Wellness Center on the 46th floor, with a cardio area, a weight room and a cloistered yoga and stretching studio, all with penthouse-level views. Even higher, adjacent the Sky Pool and hot tub decks, is the Residents’ Salon, the perfect — and perfectly appointed — place to party, to entertain, or just to relax in the sunken living room, warmed by the fireplace and (if you like) diverted by a multimedia offering fully wired into the room.
One more floor up (reached by private elevator), you’ll find a Secret Garden, a dense, Pacific Northwest forest-scape, shrouded in glass for protection and featuring Hogan sculptures among the trees, mosses and ferns.
At ground level, if you sidle up to the back wall of the lobby, close to a sparkling version of Hogan’s elegant exterior veils, you will be able to look down through a full-width section of glass flooring into a surprisingly elegant Bike Clubhouse, part of a suite of entry level services that includes bike repair stations and a wash-up area for bikes, dogs or muddy boots.
Just as the lobby offered the first taste of luxury coming in, the concierge can book a luxury share car — or an electric share bike — or send residents by foot from Third and Virginia, where Belltown meets downtown, and into what is becoming Seattle’s most walkable and convenient district, close to theaters, galleries and restaurants; to a re-emerging Seattle waterfront; to the downtown business district; or the high-tech employment center of South Lake Union.
For those interested in a home at First Light, the onsite Presentation Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for previews at 300 Virginia St. To learn more or register, visit www.firstlightseattle.com or call 206-620-2568.