SEATTLE | Rainier Tower | 514 FT / 156 M | 31 FLOORS | 1977
The Rainier Tower (also known as Rainier Square) is a simple aluminum clad tower completed in 1977. The tower is unique in that it sits on a 100ft tall pedestal that protrudes and projects above a shopping center below. The tower was designed by Minoru Yamasaki and bears a striking cladding resemblance to his Century City Towers in Los Angeles of the same vintage. This tower (along with the neighboring IBM Building) was Yamasaki's contribution to his hometown skyline. When completed it was the 4th tallest (including the Space Needle) building in the city.
The curved concrete clad pedestal presents a welcome juxtaposition to the rather ordinary tower above. The tapered form allows gives the tower a sculptural quality rather than just projecting up from the shopping concourse below.
I like this building alot. Mostly because it was different than other towers of the era in that it attempted to give the base a much different feel than the rest of the project. The projected floors above help the building appear to be engaged in a balancing act. I put it into the same category as Citicorp in NYC by Stubbins, which does much the same thing at a far grander scale. It certainly creates a much more interesting space and street interaction than say the Hancock Tower in Boston (and much better than Century City) of the same time period.
A few photos...
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In the 80s it was a fascinating local icon...the pencil stuck in the ground. Less so today, because we're used to it. Nice building with good tenants. The retail podium isn't terribly retaily anymore due to Westlake Center and Pacific Place getting built in the 80s and 90s a few blocks north by the department stores. But the perimeter is still Class A or A+ retail, with Fourth being a good all-purpose street and Fifth having a lot of top-end boutiques through the area.
I apologize for being an old "fudie dudie" but that building... While it's base is a bit different... Is just another 70;s "Big Boring Box"
The base is about the only thing that sets it apart from hundreds of near identical Big Boxes built in the 70's, usually at the expense of older historical buildings. (cough cough Singer Builder)
Not that I know that this was put in the place of something historical. But, to this jaded critic, it is just a boring concrete block.
I agree. I mean the base is quite amazing for its time but therest kind of looks like the Aon Center Chicago, or the one of the World Trade Center towers. It really isn't that special!
ill politely disagree on this one. seattle has some unique structures but this one reminds me of a toothbrush, or a half chewed tree a beaver got to on the verge of collapse.
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