Midline Apartments

Located in the emerging Saint Anthony neighborhood of Saint Paul, and right in the middle of the Creative Enterprise Zone, Midline Apartments offers studios, alcoves, one- and two-bedroom units near the Green Line light rail and other transit routes. Its location along the train line connecting downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, and downtown Saint Paul makes it a desirable location for people commuting to these hubs. The prime location also allows residents quick access to several nearby restaurants and retail locations along University Avenue.

The primary challenge with this site was to design a building that sits adjacent to a historic district, and combining some of the nearby historic motifs with the modern vibrancy of the Creative Enterprise Zone. We located the traditional masonry materials on the more public facing facades and at the street level. Hanging over this traditional masonry base, we incorporated modern materials such as metal panel to emphasize the main design move on the University Avenue facade. This front face of the building is host to a cantilevered metal overhang, that protrudes out from the façade to create a fifth-floor amenity deck. Framed by the metal extrusions, a playful checkerboard pattern is implemented using metal panels as a nod to the surrounding creative district.

In addition to the 154 units, Midline Apartments has a fitness center, bike room, and a first-floor lounge. A more unique feature to the project is the inclusion of an art room, complete with pottery wheel and kiln for residents to use. The fifth floor is host to a community room with an adjacent amenity deck. From the deck, residents can take in the sites of the surrounding neighborhood, as well as views of the Minneapolis and St. Paul downtown skylines visible on either end of the train line.