Lam’s Seafood Market in Tukwila Honors Vietnamese Roots
Lam’s Seafood Market opened its Tukwila location in May after transforming the building's existing back-of-house loading dock into a new front entrance with a clock tower (modeled after a landmark market in Vietnam, Ben Thanh).
“The concept of redefining a back of house loading entry into a main building entry is unique for the area,” said JMA Associate Dan Rasmusson who led the design of the renovation. “The concept will hopefully act as a catalyst for transforming street facing concrete building facades into welcoming, pedestrian friendly spaces.”
George Nguyen, the owner of Lam’s Seafood Market which started in Seattle and opened a second location in Tukwila, came to the U.S. on his father’s boat with 38 other refugees in 1979. He then started a grocery store in Kansas with his wife, and eventually opened Lam’s Seafood Market in Seattle. You can read more about his fascinating story in Northwest Asian Weekly.
“The 30,000 SF market will be an icon for the Vietnamese community here in the Puget Sound,” said Rasmusson. “The owner has an amazing story migrating to the U.S. from Communist Vietnam, and the goal of the renovation was to pay tribute to his heritage while creating a more welcoming and accessible entrance for the store.”
Renovation
Jackson | Main Architecture designed the new building entry located at the back of the existing building which includes a 1600 SF building extension with a tower, exterior canopies, new storefronts, roll-up garage doors, covered outdoor patio seating, and enhanced landscaping. The design is intended to transform the back entry into the primary entry while also bringing in more natural light.
Previously, the sidewalk along Minkler faced the back of a house, concrete tilt up facade. With this renovation, transparency through added storefronts and roll up doors provide pedestrians with a connection to the inside of the store. The storefronts provide natural light into a space that was previously lacking. Landscaping along the sidewalk has more than doubled in width which will benefit passerby pedestrians along with customers approaching the store.
A 1,000 SF covered patio space parallel to the public sidewalk will be filled with seating for customers ordering food at one of the many small eateries in the store. Roll-up doors in front of the store help to create an indoor/outdoor market feeling similar to that of the Ben Thanh Market in Vietnam. At night, the tower is illuminated and serves as an icon for the Vietnamese community in Tukwila.
The store reopened on May 30 after two years of construction.
Any Questions? Feel free to contact Associate Dan Rasmusson about the facility at dan.rasmusson@jacksonmain.com
Lam’s Seafood Market
243 Minkler Blvd, Tukwila, WA 98188