Tallest Buildings In Seattle

Highrises In Seattle

Seattle hosts 14 completed skyscrapers that stand over 500 feet high, the tallest being the 943 feet tall Columbia Center. The first steel-framed skyscraper in Seattle was the Alaska Building of 1904. In 1914 Smith Towers became the tallest tower in the US outside New York. Construction ceased in the 1920s to 1950s due to the Great Depression that damaged the city's economy. When Space Needle came up in 1962, Smith lost in height. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, a massive construction boom hit the town and at the end 15 skyscrapers with at least 400 feet in height beautified the downtown Skyline. In the 2000s the city underwent another construction boom, and three more towers of at least 500 feet have risen. Here are some of the tallest buildings in Seattle.

1. Columbia Center

The Columbia Center ranks number one among the tallest buildings in Seattle and the State of Washington. The center also has the tallest public viewing area in western Mississippi and the west coast. It has a height of 943 ft. Chester L. Lindsey Architects designed the building, and Howard S. Wright Construction were responsible for its construction. In 1980, the construction began and was completed in 1985. The building has had many owners with the Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital Partners as the current owners as from August 7, 2015. The building has 76 stories of class-A offices above ground and seven other stories of various use underground. The complex has the Columbia Club women's bathroom on the 76th floor which offers spectacular easterly beautiful sceneries of the Cascades mountain range and the lush landscape of the city below. Approximately 2,000 people visit the tower every weekday while 5,000 work in the tower daily.

2. 1201 Third Avenue

1201 Third Avenue is a 772 ft skyscraper with 55 stories. It is the second tallest building in downtown Seattle and 8th on the West Coast of the US. Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and McKinley Architects designed the building; Wright Runstad & Company started construction 1986 and finished in 1988. The tower provides an entrance to the Metro Transit Tunnel, day care, retail space, public plaza, hillside public escalators, sculptured top and lobby/atrium open access. The building attracts finance, insurance, law, and real estate tenants. The dark stone entries from the main entry on Third Avenue are lightened with glowing portals made of thin backlit marble slabs. The double heights transparent glazings highlight the entrance. There is an aluminum floor laid over a rubber mat on the existing stone floor.

3. Two Union Square

Construction of this skyscraper started in 1987 and was completed in 1989. The building rises to a height of 740 ft with 56 levels making it the third tallest building in the skyline of Seattle. NBBJ a Seattle-based architectural firm designed the layout of the tower. The property has an underground pedestrian concourse connecting it to the Seattle Hilton Hotel and Rainier Square. The property offers the best place for business with its superior office finishes, beautiful courtyards, and state of the art systems. The buildings location right in the heart of Seattle gives the users spacious and intimate outdoor spaces and fine dining restaurants. The parking lot can park as many as 1,100 vehicles every day.

4. Seattle Municipal Tower

Seattle Municipal Tower skyscraper, fourth among the tallest buildings in Seattle, rises to 722 ft and has 62-stories. That height makes the building the fourth tallest building in downtown Seattle. Bassetti Architects designed the building. Construction completed in 1990. The City of Seattle is the current owner of the property after buying for $124 million in 1996. The building houses several government offices like the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, Human Services Department, the Department of IT, and the Office of Economic Development. The tower has 5,000 tenants under its roof making it the most populous building in Seattle. The tower's layout and design are expressive and contemporary and with its Northwest configuration, it is an impressive addition to the Prominence of Seattle's skyline.

5. Safeco Plaza

Safeco Plaza is a 50-story building rising to a height of 630 feet on the skylines of Downtown Seattle. The commercial office building construction began in 1966. After its completion in 1969, the structure was one of a kind with class-A office suites found nowhere else in Seattle. The primary constructor was Howard S. Wright Construction and Gerald D Hines Interests. The building has a cladding assembly constructed of aluminum framing and glazing pieces. It has over 500 custom pre-cure silicone corners boots and other fantastic details. The parking lot can take approximately 576 vehicles. With its international architectural style and the curtain wall façade system, Safeco is a nice dig in the economy of the state.

The Skyline of Seattle is exceptionally amazing. The city is marked with beautiful and exceptional landmarks of concrete and steel. The lush view from the observatory points in the towers is serene. Seattle is the western boom of skyscrapers which reflect a strong economy and the need to have posh digs as office suites in Washington as a whole.