On the Streets: Loveless Building

If you’ve read this blog, you know I’m a fan of Joe Bar (link goes to The Stranger’s writeup about Joe Bar). It took me a little longer to warm up to the Loveless Building, which only seems appropriate given the name. It struck me as out of place, more at home in Europe than the Pacific Northwest. However, having only been here for about six months, I’m obviously not an authority on Seattle architectural styles and history.
Somewhere along the way, the building started to grow on me. Maybe it was the addition of Cook | Weaver, a small cozy restaurant that occupies the southwestern corner of the building. I like walking by and seeing people sharing a meal, happily escaping a wet, cold Seattle winter. The glass on the windows makes that brief act of food voyeurism even better. I don’t know if there’s a term for it, but it’s the glass you find on old homes. It’s not perfectly smooth and transparent. Instead, it subtly bends and blurs light and shapes.

Josh Mahar posted an interesting history of the building and its architect on the Capitol Hill Seattle blog back on 25 February 2009.