The Seattle Asian Art Museum is the most prominent cultural destination in Volunteer Park. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1903, Volunteer Park is special: it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of the most loved and intensively used parks in Seattle.
The museum renovation raised important questions about how the team could strengthen the museum’s connection to the park and respect the park’s original design, which had not included a museum in this location. Walker Macy collaborated closely with the architectural design team and arborist, the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and numerous advisory groups to address this question. Our approach repairs damage incurred by previous building projects, creates a gracious accessible entry, restores historic park paths, and provides a stunning indoor-outdoor experience at the backside of the museum. The result is a museum that sits gracefully in its natural setting, surrounded by large trees – and a park experience that is both sublime and familiar.