Rainier Tower

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = Rainier Tower


caption = Rainier Tower
year_highest =
year_end =
plural =
location = 1301 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington
coordinates = coord|47.608959|-122.335145|display=inline,title
status =
groundbreaking =
constructed = 1977
est-completion =
opening =
destroyed =
use = Offices
antenna_spire =
roof = convert|635|ft|m
top_floor =
floor_count = 40
elevator_count =
cost =
floor_area = convert|538000|sqft|m2|abbr=on
architect = Minoru Yamasaki
engineer =
contractor =
developer =
owner = Unico Properties

Rainier Tower is a 40-story skyscraper (29 stories occupied, the rest pedestal) in the Metropolitan Tract of Seattle, Washington at 1301 Fifth Avenue. The total height of the tower is 635 feet (514 feet without the 121 foot base). It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who also was architect of the World Trade Center in New York City (as well as of the IBM Building, which is on the corner diagonally opposite from Rainier Tower). Its construction was completed in 1977. [cite book
first = Sally B.
last = Woodridge
coauthors = Roger Montgomery
year = 1980
title = A Guide to Architecture in Washington State
publisher = University of Washington Press
id = ISBN 0-295-95779-4
pages = page 127]

The skyscraper has an unusual appearance, being built atop a 121-foot (11-story) concrete base that tapers towards ground level, like an inverted pyramid.

Beneath the tower is the Rainier Square underground shopping mall. 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. [Glenn R. Pascall, [http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/1998/05/11/editorial3.html Too big to fail -- or too big to succeed?] , "Puget Sound Business Journal", May 8, 1998. Accessed online November 9, 2006.]

References

External links

* [http://www.nordarts.com/seattle2Web/pages/seabldg3.html Building photo at nordarts.com]
* [http://www.unicoprop.com/properties/rainier_tower.html Owner's homepage]