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Freeway Park
1976, Landscape Architect: Lawrence Halprin & Associates (San Francisco) and Sakuma James & Peterson; renovation, 1982, Danadjieva and Associates
This 4.5 acre park is an example of brutalist modern landscape architecture and features cast-in-place concrete paving,
cast-in-place board form retaining walls and fountain and a variety of ornamental trees and shrubs.
Most of the large evergreen trees are Deodar cedars. The complex forms of the cascading fountain and retaining walls suggest
the jagged rock formations of the surrounding mountains, while their cubist geometry echoes the city skyline to the west.
The fountain is an example of the interactive, "playable" fountains developed by Halprin in the 1970s. This freeway-spanning park was the first of its kind in the country and has inspired similar projects in other US cities. The park opened July 4, 1976, as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebration.
From: Seattle Architecture: A Walking Guide to Downtown by Maureen R. Elenga
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