Rainier Tower

Rainier Tower
Alternative names Rainier Bank
Security Pacific Bank
Rainier Square
General information
Type Commercial offices
Location 1301 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Coordinates 47°36′32″N 122°20′03″W / 47.60902°N 122.33405°WCoordinates: 47°36′32″N 122°20′03″W / 47.60902°N 122.33405°W
Completed 1977
Owner Unico Properties
Height
Roof 156.67 m (514.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 31
2 below ground
Floor area 538,000 sq ft (50,000 m2)
Lifts/elevators 12
Design and construction
Architect Minoru Yamasaki
NBBJ
Structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates
References
[1][2][3][4]

Rainier Tower is a 31-story, 156.67 m (514.0 ft) skyscraper in the Metropolitan Tract of Seattle, Washington, at 1301 Fifth Avenue. It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who designed the World Trade Center in New York City as well as the IBM Building, which is on the corner across the street from Rainier Tower to the southeast. Its construction was completed in 1977.[5]

The skyscraper has an unusual appearance, being built atop an 11-storey, 37 m (121 ft) concrete pedestal base that tapers towards ground level, like an inverted pyramid.

Beneath the tower is Rainier Square, an underground shopping mall connecting with One Union Square that is owned by the University of Washington.[6] Both the mall and tower were originally named after Rainier Bank, which was merged in the 1980s into Security Pacific, which was eventually merged into BankAmerica.[7]

Locals often refer to it as the "Beaver Building" as its physical appearance looks like a tree being felled by a beaver.[8][9] It has also been referred to as the "golf tee" building.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Rainier Tower at CTBUH Skyscraper Database
  2. ↑ Rainier Tower at Emporis
  3. ↑ Rainier Tower at SkyscraperPage
  4. ↑ Rainier Tower at Structurae
  5. ↑ Woodridge, Sally B.; Roger Montgomery (1980). A Guide to Architecture in Washington State. University of Washington Press. p. 127. ISBN 0-295-95779-4.
  6. ↑ Bhatt, Sanjay (October 3, 2013), "UW has big plans for its prime downtown Seattle real estate", The Seattle Times
  7. ↑ Glenn R. Pascall (May 8, 1998). "Too Big To Fail – To Too Big To Succeed?". The Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  8. ↑ Rainier Square Bank Tower, Yamasaki Inc., retrieved 2015-01-15
  9. ↑ Seattle's architectural must-sees, Visit Seattle (Seattle/King County's official destination marketing organization), retrieved 2015-01-15
  10. ↑ Vince Lyons, City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development, Hillclimb Assists (PDF), City of Seattle

External links