Columbia Center
Encyclopedia
Columbia Center is the tallest skyscraper
in the downtown Seattle skyline
, as well as the tallest building in the State of Washington, and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It occupies most of the block bounded by Fourth and Fifth Avenues and Cherry and Columbia Streets. At 284.2 m (932.4 ft) it was the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River
when construction was finished; it is currently fourth by that metric, the second tallest building on the West Coast, and the twentieth tallest building in the United States
. It contains 76 stories
of class-A office space above ground and seven stories of various use below ground, making it the building with the most stories west of the Mississippi. Construction of this building began in 1982 and finished in 1985. It was designed by Chester L. Lindsey Architects who also designed the Fourth and Blanchard Building
in the Belltown
neighborhood, and was built by Howard S. Wright Construction.
. The building's structure is composed of three geometric
concave facades, causing the building to appear like three towers standing side by side. The tower was originally designed to be about 1,005 feet (306.5 meters) tall, but federal regulations by the FAA
would not allow it to be that tall so close to the nearby Sea-Tac Airport. Prolific Seattle-area developer Martin Selig (b. 1936) used "public amenities," such as retail space and public areas, as "bonuses" to comply with land-use code requirements including those relating to height. There is an observation deck on the 73rd floor which offers views of Seattle and environs. The top two floors of the building (75th and 76th) are occupied by the private Columbia Tower Club, which houses a restaurant, bar, library, and meeting rooms. An underground concourse connects the building to the nearby Seattle Municipal Tower
and Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza
.
The tower was originally named Columbia Center when it was first built. The name was later changed to Columbia Seafirst Center, for Seafirst Bank
, and then to the Bank of America
Tower, when Seafirst, which had been owned by Bank of America since 1983, was fully integrated into Bank of America. That name gave it the nickname "BOAT" (Bank of America Tower). In November 2005, the building's name was changed back to Columbia Center (TCC). However, Bank of America still has a branch in the building.
A number of companies and firms rent office space in the tower. The largest include Bank of America
, DLA Piper
, and Amazon.com
.
Columbia Center plays host to the largest firefighter
competition in the world. About 1,300 firefighters from around the world yearly make the trek up 69 floors and 1,311 steps wearing their full firefighter gear. This event benefits the local chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.
reported that the original plan for the September 11, 2001, attacks called for the hijacking of ten planes, to be crashed into targets including the "tallest buildings in California and Washington State," which would have been the Columbia Center and the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles
.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in the downtown Seattle skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
, as well as the tallest building in the State of Washington, and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It occupies most of the block bounded by Fourth and Fifth Avenues and Cherry and Columbia Streets. At 284.2 m (932.4 ft) it was the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
when construction was finished; it is currently fourth by that metric, the second tallest building on the West Coast, and the twentieth tallest building in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It contains 76 stories
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
of class-A office space above ground and seven stories of various use below ground, making it the building with the most stories west of the Mississippi. Construction of this building began in 1982 and finished in 1985. It was designed by Chester L. Lindsey Architects who also designed the Fourth and Blanchard Building
Fourth and Blanchard Building
The Fourth and Blanchard Building, also known as the Sedgwick James Building or the Darth Vader building, is a skyscraper located in the Belltown neighborhood just north of downtown Seattle. The high-rise style construction rises to 105 meters and has 25 floors above the ground. Chester L...
in the Belltown
Belltown, Seattle, Washington
Belltown is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, United States, in the 98121 Zip Code, located on the city's downtown waterfront, on land that was artificially flattened as part of a regrading project...
neighborhood, and was built by Howard S. Wright Construction.
Design
The base of the building is clad in Rosa Purino Carnelian graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The building's structure is composed of three geometric
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
concave facades, causing the building to appear like three towers standing side by side. The tower was originally designed to be about 1,005 feet (306.5 meters) tall, but federal regulations by the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
would not allow it to be that tall so close to the nearby Sea-Tac Airport. Prolific Seattle-area developer Martin Selig (b. 1936) used "public amenities," such as retail space and public areas, as "bonuses" to comply with land-use code requirements including those relating to height. There is an observation deck on the 73rd floor which offers views of Seattle and environs. The top two floors of the building (75th and 76th) are occupied by the private Columbia Tower Club, which houses a restaurant, bar, library, and meeting rooms. An underground concourse connects the building to the nearby Seattle Municipal Tower
Seattle Municipal Tower
Seattle Municipal Tower is a 62-story skyscraper located at 700 5th Avenue at the corner of 5th Avenue and Columbia Street in downtown Seattle, Washington. Rising to , it is the fourth tallest high-rise building in Seattle...
and Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza
Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza
Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza is a skyscraper in Seattle, Washington. It was constructed from 1979 to 1981 and has 42 floors. It is the 9th tallest building in Seattle and as designed by 3D/International. The building has been able to retain a minimum of 98% occupancy since it was...
.
The tower was originally named Columbia Center when it was first built. The name was later changed to Columbia Seafirst Center, for Seafirst Bank
Seafirst Bank
Seafirst Corporation was a bank holding company based in Seattle, Washington. Formed on November 11, 1929, from the merger of Seattle's three largest banks, the First National Bank Group, the Dexter Horton National Bank , and Seattle National Bank, the bank was originally named First Seattle Dexter...
, and then to the Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
Tower, when Seafirst, which had been owned by Bank of America since 1983, was fully integrated into Bank of America. That name gave it the nickname "BOAT" (Bank of America Tower). In November 2005, the building's name was changed back to Columbia Center (TCC). However, Bank of America still has a branch in the building.
A number of companies and firms rent office space in the tower. The largest include Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, DLA Piper
DLA Piper
DLA Piper is a global law firm with 76 offices across 30 countries and more than 4,200 lawyers. As of May 2011, it was the largest law firm in the world by number of attorneys. The firm's global revenues were $1.92 billion in 2009-2010. The firm is composed of two partnerships, DLA Piper...
, and Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
.
Columbia Center plays host to the largest firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
competition in the world. About 1,300 firefighters from around the world yearly make the trek up 69 floors and 1,311 steps wearing their full firefighter gear. This event benefits the local chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.
September 11th attacks
On June 16, 2004, the 9/11 Commission9/11 Commission
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks", including preparedness for and the immediate response to...
reported that the original plan for the September 11, 2001, attacks called for the hijacking of ten planes, to be crashed into targets including the "tallest buildings in California and Washington State," which would have been the Columbia Center and the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
See also
- List of tallest buildings by U.S. state
- Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park
- List of buildings
- List of tallest buildings in Seattle