WaMu Center

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = WaMu Center


caption =
year_highest =
year_end =
plural =
location = 1301 Second Ave., Seattle, Washington
coordinates = coord|47.607311|-122.337109|display=inline,title
status =
groundbreaking =
constructed = -2006
est-completion =
opening =
destroyed =
use = Office + Art museum
antenna_spire =
roof = 182 meters (598 feet)
top_floor =
floor_count = 42
elevator_count =
cost = $370M
floor_area =
architect = NBBJ
engineer = Magnusson Klemencic Associates
contractor = Sellen Construction
developer = Pine Street Group LLC
owner = JPMorgan Chase and Seattle Art Museum

WaMu Center is a skyscraper built in Seattle, Washington. On its completion, it was the largest skyscraper to mark Downtown Seattle's skyline in nearly 15 years, and is the city's 6th tallest building, at 182 meters (598 feet), with 42 floors. Major construction ended in early 2006, with minor construction continuing into the fall, and tenants from Washington Mutual (WaMu) began to move in to the tower in March 2006. The architect for the tower is NBBJ, which also designed nearby Two Union Square and other notable buildings in the downtown area of Seattle. Sellen Construction was the general contractor for the project. The tower is located at 1301 2nd Avenue, on the opposite corner from Washington Mutual Tower.

WaMu Center was built to stand as Washington Mutual's headquarters, and to move most of its many Seattle area workers into one tower, to streamline operations, and to encourage worker interaction, with a 'reinvention' of the work place. There is also a private 20,000 square-foot rooftop patio on the west half of the 17th floor for workers of the tower to take walks along the several walking paths.

The tower includes the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) on the first 4 floors of the west half of the building, and connects to the museum's existing building on the southern portion of the block. WaMu and SAM made an agreement where the museum may expand in 2-floor increments up to the 12th floor over the next 20 years as needed. [cite web
title=CONSTRUCTOR magazine website
url=http://www.constructor.construction.com/features/build/archives/2005-11seattle.asp
accessdate=2007-01-18]

References

External links

* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=137730 Emporis.com's site on this building]
* [http://www.constructor.construction.com/features/build/archives/2005-11seattle.asp "Where Cash Meets Culture" By Sheila Bacon]