Top 25 Seattle Skyscrapers Part 2

Numbers 11 through 25

The 11th tallest skyscraper in Seattle is Rainier Tower.   Number 11 is a 31-story, 514 foot multi-use Office and Retail skyscraper located at 1301 Fifth Avenue. It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who designed the World Trade Center in New York City as well as the IBM Building, which is on the corner across the street from Rainier Tower to the southeast. Its construction was completed in 1977.

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

Beneath the tower is Rainier Square, an underground shopping mall connecting with One Union Square that is owned by the University of Washington. 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.

There's no mistaking the Rainier Tower. As it rises from its pedestal, it leaves the streets open and pedestrian-oriented. The Tower occupies only 25 percent of the block bounded by 4th and 5th avenues and Union and University streets. The remainder is devoted to Rainier Square's three-level retail atrium and landscaped plazas, where Rainier Square and the Tower are integrated.

The Tower's grace belies its strength and utility. Its design underwent three environmental tests before construction. It was tested first for strength in the event of a severe earthquake, then for stability during high winds. The results proved Rainier Tower as one of Seattle's safest buildings. Even its unusual shape was tested, finding that it would eliminate the "canyon effect" of strong winds that can occur around modern high-rise buildings.

The Fourth and Madison Building (formerly the IDX Tower), Number 12 is a 40-story skyscraper with 2 floors underground, as well.  The building is a commercial office building and is located at 925 Fourth Avenue, at the intersection with Madison Street. Upon its completion in 2002, the late-modernist highrise was Seattle's first building to exceed 500 feet in over a decade.
The rooftop garden on the seventh floor is a privately owned public open space.  I understand you can take the podium elevators to level 7 for a rooftop public plaza that's open M-F, 7a-530p  However, it may be open solely to office workers. The tower itself has a dramatic 5-story atrium entrance.  At night, the top of the tower is illuminated by flood lights and gives the tower a "crown" effect. 
IDX Systems occupies floors 3-18 which have the largest plates (narrows after the 18th floor).

 

Number 13, 1918 Eighth Avenue is a 500 feet  tall skyscraper in the Denny Regrade neighborhood.  It was completed in 2009 and has 36 floors, consisting mostly of office space. In August 2008, the tower gained its first tenant, law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro. The firm leased 21,000 square feet of the building.  
The building was developed by Schnitzer West, LLC and is now owned by an affiliate of JPMorgan Chase, which purchased it for $350 million after Schnitzer put it up for sale in May 2011, shortly after Amazon.com signed a long-term lease for more than two-thirds of the office space.








Number 14, Qwest Plaza is a 32-storey, 499 ft skyscraper completed in 1976 Qwest Plaza was originally known as the Pacific Northwest Bell Building, and later 1600 Bell Plaza, and US West Communications.
In 2012, a year after acquiring Qwest Communications, Centurylink sold the Bell Plaza/Qwest Plaza property to New York real estate investment firm Clarion Partners for $137 million and is now leasing floors 3–17 to Centurylink and floors 19–32 to Nordstrom (floor 18 is currently occupied by The Urban Renaissance Group). Centurylinks NW Regional President, Brian Stading issued a statement claiming that the tower was not a fundamental component of their business strategy. Seattle real estate company, The Urban Renaissance Group, represented Clarion in the sale and will operate the building for the new owner.

1000 Second Avenue is Number 15 on the tallest list.  It is a 490 ft skyscraper, completed in 1987 and has 43 floors above ground and 2 below. Originally known as Key Tower, it is listed as a commercial office building, but I have found have a condo for sale in the building.