Qualtrics Tower facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Qualtrics Tower
Under construction in August 2019
Former names	2+U (2&U)
General information
Status	Topped-out
Type	Office
Address	1201 2nd Avenue Seattle, Washington
Coordinates	47°36′24.1″N 122°20′14.4″W / 47.606694°N 122.337333°W / 47.606694; -122.337333
Construction started	January 2017
Topped-out	November 2018
Opened	Septembre 2019
Cost	$392 million
Height	500 feet (150 m)
Technical details
Floor area	725,000 square feet (67,400 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Pickard Chilton
Developer	Skanska
Structural engineer	Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Main contractor	Skanska
Other information
Parking	476 spaces

The Qualtrics Tower is a very tall office building in Downtown Seattle, Washington. It used to be called 2+U or 2&U. This huge building is about 500 feet (150 m) tall and has 38 floors. It is located at 2nd Avenue and University Street. The tower was finished in 2019.

The building has a lot of space for offices, shops, and public areas. The company Qualtrics is the biggest office tenant. They also bought the right to have the building named after them.

Building History

This building project was first announced in November 2014. It was called "2+U" back then. The land for the tower was leased from the Samis Foundation. The company Skanska is the developer for this project.

They chose the architecture firm Pickard Chilton to design the tower. This firm won a special "hack-a-thon" design contest. This was different from how buildings are usually designed. The team even used Microsoft's HoloLens to create a virtual tour. This helped show what the building would look like to future tenants.

Construction Milestones

The city of Seattle approved the tower's design in December 2016. Construction began in February 2017. Before building, some old buildings and a playground were torn down. The Diller Building next door was not part of this project.

Workers started digging the underground parking garage in April 2017. They dug 80 feet (24 m) deep! The first big steel column was put in place in April 2018. It was 85 feet (26 m) tall and shaped like a "W". The tower reached its full height in November 2018. This is called "topping out".

In September 2019, the building was officially renamed the Qualtrics Tower. This happened after Qualtrics rented 13 floors, which is a huge amount of space.

Tower Design

The design of the Qualtrics Tower was created by Pickard Chilton. People have called its design "dramatic" and "different". The tower stands on special "V"-shaped columns. These columns are like stilts and lift the building 65 to 85 feet (20 to 26 m) above the street.

The lower part of the building, facing 1st Avenue, is 19 stories tall. It has a beautiful garden on its roof. The main tower, which is 38 stories tall, also has a rooftop terrace. These areas offer great views and places to relax.

Public Spaces

The city of Seattle approved a plan for public spaces around the tower. In exchange for closing a small alley, the developers created a special public area. This area is at the base of the tower. It has shops and restaurants on two levels.

There are also public walkways and viewing spots. You can find public staircases with elevators to help you go up the hill. There are seating areas and even space for concerts and food trucks. It's a place for everyone to enjoy.

Main Tenants

Many companies have offices in the Qualtrics Tower. Here are some of the main ones:

• Indeed: This company helps people find jobs. They rent 10 floors, which is about 200,000 square feet (19,000 m²) of space.
• Spaces: This company offers shared office spaces. They have offices on three floors.
• Dropbox: This company provides cloud storage. They rent four floors to expand their Seattle office.
• Qualtrics: This company helps businesses understand their customers. They are the biggest tenant, renting 13 stories. They plan to have 2,000 workers in their co-headquarters here. The building was fully rented out in September 2019.