United Shopping Tower
Encyclopedia
The Olympic Tower, originally known as the United Shopping Tower, then the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building, and later, the Olympic Savings Tower, is a historic 12-story office tower located in Seattle, Washington
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It was originally built in 1929 at the Southwest corner of Third Avenue and Pine Street for the United Pacific Corporation under the control of Seattle investment firm Drumheller, Ehrlichman and White. It was designed by Henry Bittman who would also design additions to the building in 1939.
The building consists of a ten-story reinforced concrete
and terra cotta
tower set back from 6th Avenue street but flush with Union Street, on top of a three-story (originally two-story) base that fills the 113 by 108 feet (32.9 m) lot. Large windows consist a large part of the facade bringing natural light into almost every interior space. It was reported at the time of construction that the shopping tower had more glass in proportion to its size than any other building in Seattle.
The building's original purpose was to house retail tenants, one per floor with a tea room on the tenth floor. The building was an early incarnation of the indoor shopping center and the only of its kind in the Pacific Northwest
. Also in the original plans, grass was to be planted on the roof of the second floor for a putting green owned by a sporting goods store on the third floor (the base of the tower). By the end of 1932, the retail concept proved to be a failure and the building was converted into offices for the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. It later housed the headquarters for the Olympic Savings Bank, after whose closure in 1994 was sold to private investors and converted into office space. The building became a City of Seattle Landmark on May 18, 1987.
would manage the property.
As the site was cleared, architect Bittman awarded the construction contract to Hendrickson & Alstrom, general contractor
s. The University Brick & Tile Company once located on E. 40th street in the University District was responsible for much of the building's exterior terracotta. Construction began in January 1929 and was mostly completed by late August. Among the first tenants to sign on for the unique new building was the Shopping Tower Bargain Basement, a newly formed discount department store that would occupy the entire basement. Puget Sound Power and Light Company and Western Union
also signed leases for space. Most of the twelfth floor was leased to Gene Hanner for a photography studio. A superficial 13th floor located below the roof was used for storage.
and mahogany
trimming and featured display cases for the various retail tenants to display their wares. Two high-speed, micro-leveling, signal controlling Otis
elevators that served the building were also decorated with marble and bronze
. A unique feature of the building at the time was the inclusion of a rooftop garden:
Later in 1929, radio station KPBC, the predecessor to KIRO
, opened a new studio in the building. The renamed station would move to the Cobb Building in 1935.
soon revealed that the vertical shopping concept was not good for businesses trying to make themselves as visible as possible to what few people were still spending money. In December 1932, the Northwestern Mutual Fire Association, the nation's biggest fire insurance company at the time, signed a ten-year lease with the Gottstein Estate for the majority of the vacated space in the building and renamed it the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building. In February 1933, following $40,000 in renovations including remodeling the lobby and the addition of a new scientific sprinkler system, the company moved their offices from the Central Building in the financial district to the former shopping tower where they would occupy the basement, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 11th and 12th floors. Remaining retail tenants occupying the basement and second floors were forced to vacate.
The original plans for the building had called for a mast
consisting of a ten foot copper base on a concrete pedestal holding a 30 feet (9.1 m) tall pole surmounted by a zinc
ball 16-inches in diameter. A mast wasn't built until 1937 and of a heavier design than originally intended. From late 1939 to early 1940, the 60 feet (18.3 m) spire was used as a light-up "thermometer" to gauge the progress of Seattle's Community Campaign fund. The lighting was divided into six sections each representing $100,000 donated to the fund and another section would light up each time a goal was met. The airway beacon
at the top represented the final goal. In later years the mast was removed due to maintenance problems.
In late 1939, Northwest Mutual commissioned the building's original architect, Henry Bittman, to design a 7200 square feet (668.9 m²) expansion to the building's third floor for the insurance company's use that would blend in with the original design. Another major expansion in 1941 was completed to accommodate district offices of the Richfield Oil Corporation. During this expansion the tower was expanded 55 feet (16.8 m) west to the alley. In 1943, the entire second floor was taken over by the Induction Center of Western Washington for Men which handled Selective Service
during World War II
.
In the 1950s, a remodel occurred which removed most of the decorative features of the lobby including the ornamental bronze elevator doors. The lobby was also made smaller by additional retail space.
in 1964. Olympic carried out an extensive renovation of the interior and exterior of the building. Intrusive additions to the storefronts were removed and the facade was cleaned. Other improvements included updated mechanical systems and the removal of an unused freight elevator. Following the restoration, Securities Financial nominated the building for the National Register of Historic Places, to which it was accepted the following year.
In early 1980, the building became the headquarters for Olympic Savings and was officially retitled the Olympic Tower and included a branch bank on the ground floor. Following Olympic Saving's demise in 1993, the tower was purchased by the Singaporian
investment corporation, Duchess Properties Ltd., led by Liu Shek Yuen. The building is currently owned by Olympic Tower LLC and houses offices and condominiums.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It was originally built in 1929 at the Southwest corner of Third Avenue and Pine Street for the United Pacific Corporation under the control of Seattle investment firm Drumheller, Ehrlichman and White. It was designed by Henry Bittman who would also design additions to the building in 1939.
The building consists of a ten-story reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
and terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
tower set back from 6th Avenue street but flush with Union Street, on top of a three-story (originally two-story) base that fills the 113 by 108 feet (32.9 m) lot. Large windows consist a large part of the facade bringing natural light into almost every interior space. It was reported at the time of construction that the shopping tower had more glass in proportion to its size than any other building in Seattle.
The building's original purpose was to house retail tenants, one per floor with a tea room on the tenth floor. The building was an early incarnation of the indoor shopping center and the only of its kind in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. Also in the original plans, grass was to be planted on the roof of the second floor for a putting green owned by a sporting goods store on the third floor (the base of the tower). By the end of 1932, the retail concept proved to be a failure and the building was converted into offices for the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. It later housed the headquarters for the Olympic Savings Bank, after whose closure in 1994 was sold to private investors and converted into office space. The building became a City of Seattle Landmark on May 18, 1987.
Plans announced
In late 1928, the corner of Third Avenue and Pine street in Seattle's burgeoning midtown retail district, then occupied by the aging Melrose Hotel, was purchased from the Gottstein Estate by United Shopping Tower Inc., a company created by the United Pacific Corporation specifically to own the property which was in turn a subsidiary of Drumheller, Ehrlichman & White investment bankers. In September 1928, an announcement was made by United Pacific for plans of a $700,000 retail tower on the prominent site that would rise ten, later revised to twelve, stories. Each floor of the building would have one single specialty retail tenant with a tea room at the top. Henry Broderick, Inc.Henry Broderick (Seattle)
Henry Broderick was Seattle, Washington realtor, civic leader, memoirist, and Seattle historian. He arrived in Seattle in 1901 and, in 1908, founded the real estate firm that he would turn into the city's largest....
would manage the property.
Construction begins
Demolition of the old Melrose Hotel began on December 3, 1928. The building, originally a Victorian apartment house at the site of the post office, was moved to the site in 7 pieces in 1901 to make way for its construction where it gained a brick ground floor and became the Federal Hotel. It was later clad completely in brick.As the site was cleared, architect Bittman awarded the construction contract to Hendrickson & Alstrom, general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
s. The University Brick & Tile Company once located on E. 40th street in the University District was responsible for much of the building's exterior terracotta. Construction began in January 1929 and was mostly completed by late August. Among the first tenants to sign on for the unique new building was the Shopping Tower Bargain Basement, a newly formed discount department store that would occupy the entire basement. Puget Sound Power and Light Company and Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
also signed leases for space. Most of the twelfth floor was leased to Gene Hanner for a photography studio. A superficial 13th floor located below the roof was used for storage.
Building opens to public
The grand opening of the Bargain Basement on October 26, 1929, also marked the unofficial opening of the Shopping tower, though still not fully completed. The building soon had more tenants and officially opened to the public on November 2, 1929. The lobby of the building, on Pine Street, was decorated with marbleMarble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
trimming and featured display cases for the various retail tenants to display their wares. Two high-speed, micro-leveling, signal controlling Otis
Otis Elevator Company
The Otis Elevator Company is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems today, principally focusing on elevators and escalators...
elevators that served the building were also decorated with marble and bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
. A unique feature of the building at the time was the inclusion of a rooftop garden:
Later in 1929, radio station KPBC, the predecessor to KIRO
KIRO (AM)
KIRO is a radio station based in Seattle, Washington on the shores of Lake Union with 2 towers on Maury Island, broadcasting on 710 kHz in the AM radio spectrum...
, opened a new studio in the building. The renamed station would move to the Cobb Building in 1935.
Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building
While a novel concept at first, the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
soon revealed that the vertical shopping concept was not good for businesses trying to make themselves as visible as possible to what few people were still spending money. In December 1932, the Northwestern Mutual Fire Association, the nation's biggest fire insurance company at the time, signed a ten-year lease with the Gottstein Estate for the majority of the vacated space in the building and renamed it the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building. In February 1933, following $40,000 in renovations including remodeling the lobby and the addition of a new scientific sprinkler system, the company moved their offices from the Central Building in the financial district to the former shopping tower where they would occupy the basement, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 11th and 12th floors. Remaining retail tenants occupying the basement and second floors were forced to vacate.
The original plans for the building had called for a mast
Guyed mast
A guyed mast is a tall thin vertical structure that receives support from guy lines.Guyed masts are frequently used for radio masts. The mast can either support aerials mounted at its top, or the entire structure itself can function as an antenna ; this is called a mast radiator...
consisting of a ten foot copper base on a concrete pedestal holding a 30 feet (9.1 m) tall pole surmounted by a zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
ball 16-inches in diameter. A mast wasn't built until 1937 and of a heavier design than originally intended. From late 1939 to early 1940, the 60 feet (18.3 m) spire was used as a light-up "thermometer" to gauge the progress of Seattle's Community Campaign fund. The lighting was divided into six sections each representing $100,000 donated to the fund and another section would light up each time a goal was met. The airway beacon
Airway Beacon
An Airway beacon was a rotating light on a tower used for visual navigation by airplane pilots along a specified airway corridor. Approximately 1,500 Airway beacons were constructed, covering 18,000 miles in the U.S. to guide pilots from city to city. Construction by the Post Office and...
at the top represented the final goal. In later years the mast was removed due to maintenance problems.
In late 1939, Northwest Mutual commissioned the building's original architect, Henry Bittman, to design a 7200 square feet (668.9 m²) expansion to the building's third floor for the insurance company's use that would blend in with the original design. Another major expansion in 1941 was completed to accommodate district offices of the Richfield Oil Corporation. During this expansion the tower was expanded 55 feet (16.8 m) west to the alley. In 1943, the entire second floor was taken over by the Induction Center of Western Washington for Men which handled Selective Service
Selective Service System
The Selective Service System is a means by which the United States government maintains information on those potentially subject to military conscription. Most male U.S. citizens and male immigrant non-citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 are required by law to have registered within 30 days of...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In the 1950s, a remodel occurred which removed most of the decorative features of the lobby including the ornamental bronze elevator doors. The lobby was also made smaller by additional retail space.
Olympic Tower and later years
In 1974, Northwestern Mutual became the Unigard Insurance Group and moved most of their offices to the recently completed Financial Center at Fourth and Seneca Streets but retained a small office in the building until 1976. Following Unigard's departure, the building was briefly retitled the "Insurance Building" in hopes of attracting other insurance firms but after a brief vacancy in the late 1970s, the building was purchased by Securities Financial, Inc. in 1979. That company was a subsidiary of Olympic Savings & Loan Association, a bank started in Bremerton, WashingtonBremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
in 1964. Olympic carried out an extensive renovation of the interior and exterior of the building. Intrusive additions to the storefronts were removed and the facade was cleaned. Other improvements included updated mechanical systems and the removal of an unused freight elevator. Following the restoration, Securities Financial nominated the building for the National Register of Historic Places, to which it was accepted the following year.
In early 1980, the building became the headquarters for Olympic Savings and was officially retitled the Olympic Tower and included a branch bank on the ground floor. Following Olympic Saving's demise in 1993, the tower was purchased by the Singaporian
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
investment corporation, Duchess Properties Ltd., led by Liu Shek Yuen. The building is currently owned by Olympic Tower LLC and houses offices and condominiums.
See also
- List of landmarks in Seattle
- National Register of Historic Places listings in King County, Washington#Seattle
External References
Historical Images
- "Hotel Federal, 3rd Ave. southwest corner Pine St., ca. 1904" - University of Washington Special Collections division
- "Federal Hotel, 3rd Ave. and Pine St., Seattle." (1917) - University of Washington Special Collections division
- "Shopping Tower, Seattle, October 21. 1929" - University of Washington Special Collection division
- "Northwest Mutual Building, Seattle, May 6, 1935" - Seattle Museum of History and Industry
- "Gottstein Building showing the offices of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., 3rd Ave. and Pine St., n.d." - University of Washington Special Collections division