Russell Investments Center
Encyclopedia
Russell Investments Center is a skyscraper in Seattle, Washington
. On its completion, it was the largest skyscraper
to mark the downtown Seattle
skyline in nearly 15 years, and is the city's sixth tallest building, at182.18 m (597.7 ft), with 42 floors. It was originally named WaMu Center because it was built to become the new headquarters for Washington Mutual
. Major construction ended in early 2006, with minor construction continuing into the fall. Tenants from Washington Mutual
(WaMu) began to move in to the tower in March 2006. On September 25, 2008, Washington Mutual failed, and its assets and accounts were sold to JPMorgan Chase by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
. On June 1, 2009, the building was renamed Chase Center. On September 9, 2009, the building was purchased by Northwestern Mutual of Milwaukee. Russell Investments, a Northwestern Mutual subsidiary, will make the building its corporate headquarters upon relocation from Tacoma, WA, and is renaming the building the Russell Investments Center. The architect for the tower is NBBJ
, which also designed nearby Two Union Square and other notable buildings in the downtown area of Seattle. Sellen Construction was the general contractor for the project. The tower is located at 1301 Second Avenue, on the opposite corner from 1201 Third Avenue
that was previously named Washington Mutual Tower.
WaMu Center was built to stand as Washington Mutual's headquarters
, and to move most of its many Seattle area workers into one tower, to streamline operations, and to encourage worker interaction, with a reinvention of the work place. There is also a private 20000 sq ft (1,858.1 m²) rooftop patio on the west half of the 17th floor for workers of the tower to take walks along the several walking paths.
The tower includes the Seattle Art Museum
(SAM) on the first 4 floors of the west half of the building, and connects to the museum's existing building on the southern portion of the block. WaMu and SAM made an agreement where the museum may expand in 2-floor increments up to the 12th floor over the next 20 years as needed.
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...
. On its completion, it was the largest skyscraper
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...
to mark the downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
skyline in nearly 15 years, and is the city's sixth tallest building, at182.18 m (597.7 ft), with 42 floors. It was originally named WaMu Center because it was built to become the new headquarters for Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual, Inc. , abbreviated to WaMu, was a savings bank holding company and the former owner of Washington Mutual Bank, which was the United States' largest savings and loan association until its collapse in 2008....
. Major construction ended in early 2006, with minor construction continuing into the fall. Tenants from Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual, Inc. , abbreviated to WaMu, was a savings bank holding company and the former owner of Washington Mutual Bank, which was the United States' largest savings and loan association until its collapse in 2008....
(WaMu) began to move in to the tower in March 2006. On September 25, 2008, Washington Mutual failed, and its assets and accounts were sold to JPMorgan Chase by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a United States government corporation created by the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933. It provides deposit insurance, which guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks, currently up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. , the FDIC insures deposits at...
. On June 1, 2009, the building was renamed Chase Center. On September 9, 2009, the building was purchased by Northwestern Mutual of Milwaukee. Russell Investments, a Northwestern Mutual subsidiary, will make the building its corporate headquarters upon relocation from Tacoma, WA, and is renaming the building the Russell Investments Center. The architect for the tower is NBBJ
NBBJ
NBBJ is a global architecture, planning and design firm with offices in Beijing, Boston, Columbus, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Shanghai....
, which also designed nearby Two Union Square and other notable buildings in the downtown area of Seattle. Sellen Construction was the general contractor for the project. The tower is located at 1301 Second Avenue, on the opposite corner from 1201 Third Avenue
1201 Third Avenue
1201 Third Avenue, formerly Washington Mutual Tower is the second tallest skyscraper in the downtown Seattle skyline. At 55 stories and , it is the eighth tallest skyscraper on the West Coast. Developed by Wright Runstad & Company, construction began in 1986 and finished in 1988. The building was...
that was previously named Washington Mutual Tower.
WaMu Center was built to stand as Washington Mutual's headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
, and to move most of its many Seattle area workers into one tower, to streamline operations, and to encourage worker interaction, with a reinvention of the work place. There is also a private 20000 sq ft (1,858.1 m²) rooftop patio on the west half of the 17th floor for workers of the tower to take walks along the several walking paths.
The tower includes the Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It maintains three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the central Seattle waterfront, which opened on...
(SAM) on the first 4 floors of the west half of the building, and connects to the museum's existing building on the southern portion of the block. WaMu and SAM made an agreement where the museum may expand in 2-floor increments up to the 12th floor over the next 20 years as needed.