Historic Name: |
Lanai Apartments |
Common Name: |
Lanai Apartments |
Style: |
Modern |
Neighborhood: |
Eastlake |
Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1955 |
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Significance |
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The Lanai Apartments are a good early example of the open corridor building form that became extremely popular in the 1950s-70s. It was designed in 1955 by Ted La Court for Orville Cohen, and built by the Century Construction Company. Its other modern features include concrete block construction, aluminum windows and glass-enclosed entry pavilions. It also has a parking area in front,illustrating the increased influence of the automobile on design and streetscapes that occurred in the 1950s and later. The building has 28 units, averaging approximately 500 square feet. It was built in the northern part of Eastlake near the University of Washington, which saw a tremendous increase in students in the 1950s (including the opening of a new medical school), and a very strong demand for housing in the vicinity.
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Appearance |
The Lanai is of concrete block construction, with reinforced concrete ceilings. It is generally rectangular in plan, but with a an entry/staircase pavilion projecting about 15 feet at each end. The front of these pavilions are glass, with brick, painted white, on the sides. The building has three stories, with the lower one slightly below grade. Landscaping separates the building and the front parking lot. The main features are the two balconies extending the full width of the building (approximately 95 feet) on both the south (front) and north facades. They are supported by seven steel columns, on the outside of the railing. The solid railings are topped with an original decorative wrought iron railing with a chevron pattern. Apartment doors open onto these open corridors. |
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Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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Cladding(s): |
Brick, Concrete, Glass |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Eaves |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
U-Shape |
Structural System: |
Concrete - Block |
No. of Stories: |
four |
Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
Integrity |
Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Major Bibliographic References |
King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
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