IBM Building, Seattle
Encyclopedia
The IBM Building is a 20-story skyscraper
in the Metropolitan Tract
at 1200 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington
. The building was designed by Minoru Yamasaki
, who also was architect of Rainier Tower
on the corner diagonally opposite, and the World Trade Center
in New York City
. Its construction was completed in 1963.
Nard Jones
wrote in 1972 that "There is an architectural poetry about [the building] that is at variance with the endless jibes at computerization and the alleged sober pragmatism of IBM personnel.
The corner of the complex at 5th Street and University Avenue was once the site of the Seattle Ice Arena
from 1915 to 1963.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in the Metropolitan Tract
Metropolitan Tract (Seattle)
The Metropolitan Tract is an area of land in downtown Seattle owned by the University of Washington. Originally covering , the 1962 purchase of land for a garage for the Olympic Hotel expanded the plot to ....
at 1200 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington
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...
. The building was designed by Minoru Yamasaki
Minoru Yamasaki
was a Japanese-American architect, best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, buildings 1 and 2. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century...
, who also was architect of Rainier Tower
Rainier Tower
Rainier Tower is a 31-storey skyscraper in the Metropolitan Tract of Seattle, Washington, 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...
on the corner diagonally opposite, and the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Its construction was completed in 1963.
Nard Jones
Nard Jones
-Life:According to Jones' self-description in "Puget Sound Profiles",he was born in Seattle and graduated with honors from Whitman College, beginning his career as a campus correspondent for the Walla Walla Daily Bulletin...
wrote in 1972 that "There is an architectural poetry about [the building] that is at variance with the endless jibes at computerization and the alleged sober pragmatism of IBM personnel.
The corner of the complex at 5th Street and University Avenue was once the site of the Seattle Ice Arena
Seattle Ice Arena
The Seattle Ice Arena was a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Metropolitan Tract in Seattle, Washington.The Arena was home to the Seattle Metropolitans Pacific Coast Hockey Association franchise from 1915 to 1924. It was built in 1915 at the cost of $100,000. It was located across from...
from 1915 to 1963.
External links
- IBM Building facts at Unico Properties