The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary Reflects Our Commitment to Preserving Seattle’s Rich History

Formally the First United Methodist Church, this new event venue on Fifth Avenue and Marion Street went through a long preservation battle. The building was built in 1908, the old church had to be rebuilt in order to be saved. To meet modern seismic code, the walls had to be thickened from the inside with approximately 10 inches of steel and concrete. Upon renovation, the old stained glass windows, original off-white paint color, rich woodwork, and terra cotta molding are all there, clean and pristine. The new space now hosts private and public events and even includes urban honey hives on the exterior of the stained glass-domed roof.

Address: 811 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA, USA
Status: Completed
Client: Daniels Real Estate
Architect: ZGF Architects
Structural Engineer: Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Size: 21,000 SF

Each of the 108 original stained glass windows was disassembled, cleaned, rebuilt and reinstalled. This restoration brought the original beauty of these windows and the building back to life.

Situated on the balcony level of the FUMC Sanctuary, this historically renovated venue space created the most unique opportunity for the Halo Bar. Winged by two balconies, the bar features an impressive halo light fixture and turn-of-the-century restored stained glass windows that showcase the historical nature of the building. JTM worked collaboratively in preconstruction with the Owner, Operator, and Kitchen consultants to overcome challenges related to beverage conduit routing, structural updates to support large kitchen equipment, and constructability considerations on finish details to create opportunity for maximum owner value.

Early history of the structure: Ground was broken, and the foundation stone was laid in 1907. Construction took just over a year and the building opened in 1908.