Stage at International District/Chinatown Station Plaza
Stage at International District/Chinatown Station
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Stage at International District/Chinatown Station Plaza
Stage at International District/Chinatown Station
Standing at the plaza of the International District/Chinatown station at 5th Avenue S and S Jackson Street, you are surrounded by artwork that might at first be elusive, but draws from the diverse cultures that make the Chinatown International District neighborhood unique.
The 17-foot-square stage at your feet was designed for seating and performances. Made of heavy timber supported by two large basalt boulders, designer Alice Adams styled the platform after the floors and foundations of Japanese houses.
Adams and Sonya Ishii were the lead artists who worked with architect Gary Hartnett on the International District/Chinatown station. Adams and Ishii incorporated themes of cultural diversity and transportation into the design — fitting for a place with a long history as a transit hub. The station area was once tide flats, then a gasification plant, and a part of the Union Pacific Railroad.
With buses and light rail running in the tunnel below –- not to mention nearby Amtrak, buses, the streetcar and ferries -– the area serves as a vital transportation node to this day.
The stage will be removed in the future because it is currently underutilized.
Photos by Ronn CM Creative. Courtesy SCIDpda
