Seattle Municipal Tower
Encyclopedia
Seattle Municipal Tower is a 62-story skyscraper
located at 700 5th Avenue at the corner of 5th Avenue and Columbia Street in downtown Seattle, Washington
. Rising to 220.07 m (722 ft), it is the fourth tallest high-rise building in Seattle. At its completion in 1990, the building was named AT&T Gateway Tower and later changed to Key Bank Tower reflecting the names of former anchor tenants AT&T and Key Bank
. On 17 May 2004, the tower's name was officially changed to the current moniker.
The building is attached to the Seattle Civic Center
complex and is owned by the city, and houses several government offices including the Department of Planning and Development, Seattle City Light
, Seattle Public Utilities
, the Department of IT, Human Services Department, and the Office of Economic Development.
The Seattle City Council
and offices of the Mayor of Seattle are located in the nearby Seattle City Hall
.
, who also designed Seattle's City Hall
and the Jackson Federal Building
.
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...
located at 700 5th Avenue at the corner of 5th Avenue and Columbia Street in downtown 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...
. Rising to 220.07 m (722 ft), it is the fourth tallest high-rise building in Seattle. At its completion in 1990, the building was named AT&T Gateway Tower and later changed to Key Bank Tower reflecting the names of former anchor tenants AT&T and Key Bank
Key Bank
KeyBank is a regional bank headquartered in Key Tower within Cleveland, Ohio's Public Square. , it is the 19th largest bank in the United States based on total deposits...
. On 17 May 2004, the tower's name was officially changed to the current moniker.
The building is attached to the Seattle Civic Center
Seattle Civic Center
The Seattle Civic Center is a building complex in Seattle, Washington. The complex comprises several offices owned by the city of Seattle and King County including:*Seattle Municipal Tower*King County Correctional Facility*King County Courthouse...
complex and is owned by the city, and houses several government offices including the Department of Planning and Development, Seattle City Light
Seattle City Light
Seattle City Light is the public utility providing electrical power to Seattle, Washington and parts of its metropolitan area, including all of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park and parts of unincorporated King County, Burien, Normandy Park, Seatac, Renton, and Tukwila...
, Seattle Public Utilities
Seattle Public Utilities
Seattle Public Utilities is a public utility agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, which provides water, sewer, drainage and garbage services for 1.3 million people in King County, Washington...
, the Department of IT, Human Services Department, and the Office of Economic Development.
The Seattle City Council
Seattle City Council
The Seattle City Council is committed to ensuring that Seattle, Washington, is safe, livable and sustainable. Nine Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections and represent the entire city, elected by all Seattle voters....
and offices of the Mayor of Seattle are located in the nearby Seattle City Hall
Seattle City Hall
Seattle City Hall is located in downtown Seattle, Washington, between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue. The building houses the offices of the Seattle City Council and the Mayor of Seattle. Most city departments are located in the nearby Seattle Municipal Tower...
.
Design
The Municipal Tower was designed by Bassetti ArchitectsBassetti Architects
Bassetti Architects is an architectural firm based in Seattle, Washington with a second office in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1947, the firm has designed several well-known Seattle landmarks and many schools in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area, including several buildings at the Pike Place...
, who also designed Seattle's City Hall
Seattle City Hall
Seattle City Hall is located in downtown Seattle, Washington, between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue. The building houses the offices of the Seattle City Council and the Mayor of Seattle. Most city departments are located in the nearby Seattle Municipal Tower...
and the Jackson Federal Building
Henry M. Jackson Federal Building
The Henry M. Jackson Federal Building is a 37-story United States Federal Government skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington. Located on the block bounded by Marion and Madison Streets and First and Second Avenues, the building was completed in 1974 and won the Honor Award of the American...
.
- The stairs between the plaza, lobby and tunnel levels are unusual and its site has the challenge of straddling a freeway entrance ramp.
- The main lobby is floor 4, not floor 1 as is usual in American buildings.
- The elevators are divided into lower and upper tiers. In order to reach floors above 40, visitors must take an elevator to the "sky lobby" on 40 and transfer to a second elevator to continue upward. Also, to reach floor 62, one must transfer to a private elevator at floor 61 using an encoded badge.
- The building's three restaurants are on an upper plaza and lack inside entrances
- The plaza and tunnel levels can't be reached by the main elevators. They also require an elevator transfer, in this case the parking-garage elevators on floor 4; or via the decorative staircase.
- The glass cupola at the building's crest is not occupied space. It contains elevator equipment.