Safeco Plaza (Seattle) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Safeco Plaza |
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Safeco Plaza viewed from the sundeck of Washington Mutual Tower in 2008; Columbia Center is directly behind it
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| Alternative names | 1001 Fourth Avenue Plaza Seafirst Building Seattle First National Bank Building |
| Record height | |
| Tallest in Seattle and Washington state from 1969 to 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Space Needle |
| Surpassed by | Columbia Center |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | 1001 Fourth Avenue Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°36′22″N 122°20′03″W / 47.6061°N 122.3341°W |
| Construction started | 1966 |
| Completed | 1969 |
| Cost | $32 million |
| Owner | CommonWealth Partners, CalPERS |
| Management | CommonWealth Partners |
| Height | |
| Roof | 192 m (630 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 50 |
| Floor area | 70,089 m2 (754,430 sq ft) |
| Lifts/elevators | 18 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Naramore, Bain, Bray, and Johanson |
| Structural engineer | Skilling Helle Christiansen and Robertson |
| Main contractor | Howard S. Wright Construction Company |
Safeco Plaza is a very tall building, called a skyscraper, located in downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It has 50 floors and stands about 630 feet (192 meters) high.
People in Seattle sometimes playfully call it "The Box the Space Needle Came In." This is because it's so close to the famous Space Needle landmark. Safeco Plaza was finished in 1969. For 16 years, it was the tallest building in Seattle, even taller than the Space Needle! It kept this title until the Columbia Center was built in 1985.
Building Design and Features
This skyscraper looks modern with its bronze-colored aluminum and glass. It was the first "Class-A" office building in Seattle, meaning it was very high quality. It was also the first skyscraper anywhere to use a special type of strong support structure called a "Vierendeel space frame."
Inside, the building has a large, two-story main entrance area. Below the ground, there's a five-story parking garage. On the ground floor, you can find different shops and services. These include a fitness center, a bank, places to eat, a medical center, and even a post office.
Outside the building, there's a cool sculpture called Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae 1968 by an artist named Henry Moore. The Seattle Art Museum owns this artwork.
History of Safeco Plaza
When it was first built, the skyscraper was the main office for a bank called Seafirst Bank. Because of this, it was known as the "Seattle-First National Bank Building."
In 1983, the building was sold. Later, in 2006, a company called Safeco Insurance Company of America decided to make it their main headquarters. They rented a large part of the building and renamed it Safeco Plaza. They moved their offices from other parts of the city to this tower. In 2015, Safeco decided to use even more floors in the building, increasing their space from 17 to 26 floors.
The building has been sold a few times over the years. In 2005, it was sold for $163 million. Then, in 2016, a company from Germany bought it for $387 million.
Who Works Here?
Many different companies have offices in Safeco Plaza. Some of the main ones include:
- Safeco Insurance
- Bank of America
- Riddell Williams
- Helsell Fetterman
- Fehr & Peers
- Interior Architects
- Business Service Center, Inc
See also
In Spanish: Safeco Plaza para niños
