Seattle Times Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Seattle Times Building |
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The building's exterior in 2007
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| General information | |
| Type | Office building |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Address | 1120 John Street |
| Coordinates | 47°37′12.8″N 122°20′06.5″W / 47.620222°N 122.335139°W |
| Opened | March 2, 1931 |
| Renovated | 1947, 1964, 1968, 1979 |
| Closed | 2011 |
| Demolished | 2016–2017 |
| Client | The Seattle Times |
| Owner | Onni Group |
| Height | 27 feet (8.2 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Reinforced concrete, Indiana limestone |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Robert C. Reamer |
| Architecture firm | Metropolitan Building Company |
| Main contractor | Teufel & Carlson Builders |
| Designated | March 11, 1996 |
The Seattle Times Building was the main office for The Seattle Times newspaper. It was located in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. The newspaper used this three-story building from 1931 until 2011. It replaced an older building called the Times Square Building.
The building was first built in 1931. Later, it was made bigger to hold more offices and larger printing machines. In 1996, the outside and roof of the building were named a city landmark. This means they were important to the city's history.
The building was designed by Robert C. Reamer. It showed off the Art Deco and Moderne styles, which were popular in the early 1900s. The building was made of reinforced concrete. In 2011, the newspaper moved out. In 2013, a company called Onni Group bought the building. They planned to build new residential towers there.
Contents
What Did the Building Look Like?
The Seattle Times Building was on a whole city block in the South Lake Union area of Seattle. It was made up of six buildings. This included the first office building and printing area from 1931. Most of the buildings were made of reinforced concrete. Some parts of the older buildings had Indiana limestone on the outside.
The first building was designed in 1930 by Robert C. Reamer. He was known for his work in Seattle and at Yellowstone National Park. The building had an Art Deco style. It also had elements of the Moderne style, which came later. Its design was simple but strong, with a focus on its shape.
The main entrance was on John Street. The newspaper's name was carved into the stone above the door. There was also a fancy golden sign with the newspaper's name. The outside of the building had small details. These included carved columns and metal designs on the windows. The main entrance had a detailed aluminum gate with patterns.
Inside the main lobby, the walls and floors were made of light tan marble. The rest of the building had green and brown rubber tile floors. The printing plant parts of the building were simpler. They were made completely of reinforced concrete.
A Look at the Building's History
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Before 1931, The Seattle Times newspaper had its main office and printing area in the Blethen Building. This was near McGraw Square. The newspaper started in 1896. It moved offices a few times, each time going further north. By 1930, the newspaper was printing over 100,000 copies every day. It needed more space for offices and for printing and delivering papers.
In 1929, The Seattle Times Company announced plans for a new building. It would be a modern office and printing plant in the Cascade neighborhood. It would have 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of space. They started building on September 26, 1929. The project cost $1.25 million. The building's foundation was strong enough to hold a much taller skyscraper if needed later.
The newspaper started printing at the new building on March 2, 1931. The new printing machine could print 40,000 copies every hour. The newspaper's publisher, C.B. Blethen, said it was "the finest plant yet built for an American newspaper." Other newspapers praised the new building too.
How the Building Grew and Changed
The building had its first big addition in 1947. This was a three-story office building added to the west. It had 7,500 square feet (700 m2) of space. A gold, lighted sign with the Times logo was also put above the main entrance. In 1950, the building grew to the north. This added 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) for a larger mailing room and a new newsroom.
In December 1959, a clock and temperature sign was added to the building's corner. It said "Today's News Today." Later, it was changed to say "Since 1896." The clock stopped at 2:40 when the building was empty.
In 1964, a larger expansion costing $3.5 million was done. This was to fit new printing machines. Four years later, another $6 million addition was built. This used up the last of the parking lots. It added a two-story newsroom. A skybridge was built to connect it to the older office building. In 1979, the new newsroom was updated.
On May 23, 1983, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper started printing at the Seattle Times Building too. Both newspapers printed their daily papers and a combined Sunday paper there. This continued until 2009 when the P-I stopped printing and became online-only. The Times bought more land for future growth. In 1992, a new printing plant opened in Bothell.
What Happened to the Building?
On March 11, 1996, the Seattle City Council named the outside and roof of the original 1931 building a Seattle city landmark. This happened because The Seattle Times Company had plans to rebuild their land. They wanted to keep the historic parts of the building. Their plans included new office buildings and a parking garage.
The Seattle Times Company started selling parts of its land in 2004. This helped them avoid cutting jobs and pay for legal costs. In January 2011, The Times Company said they would move out of the Seattle Times Building. They moved to a building a block away. In 2012, the company started selling the two blocks they owned. This included the Times Building and a parking lot. They asked for $80 million. In May 2013, the city council allowed taller buildings in the area.
On July 31, 2013, The Times Company announced that Onni Group bought the two blocks for $62.5 million. Onni Group planned to build four tall residential towers. Two of these towers would be over the Seattle Times Building. The landmarked outside parts of the building are planned to be saved and used as a retail area with a rooftop plaza. In 2018, new plans were submitted for two office towers.
When Was the Building Taken Down?
The demolition, or taking down, of the building's north and west sides began in October 2016. The west side was fully taken down by March 2017. Other parts of the building were removed by September 2017. Two sides of the building's outside walls were saved. They are planned to be part of the new building.
Images for kids
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The building in 2016, boarded up in preparation for demolition
See also
In Spanish: Seattle Times Building para niños
