List of tallest buildings in Seattle

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Skyline of Seattle from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill
Skyline of Downtown Seattle from Colman Dock on Elliott Bay

Seattle, Washington, the most populous city in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, has 154 completed high-rise buildings over 160 feet (49 m), of which 33 are over 400 feet (120 m) tall.[1][2] An additional 65 high-rise buildings are under construction or undergoing planning and design review, as of 2016.[3]

The tallest building in Seattle is the 76-story Columbia Center, which rises 937 feet (286 m) and was completed in 1985.[4] It is currently the 24th-tallest building in the United States, and the tallest building in the state of Washington.[5] The second-tallest skyscraper in the city and the state is 1201 Third Avenue, which rises 772 feet (235 m) and was completed in 1988.[6] The 20 tallest buildings in Washington are all located in Seattle.[7][better source needed]

In terms of the number of skyscrapers over 493 feet (150 m), Seattle's skyline is ranked first in the Northwestern United States, third on the West Coast (after Los Angeles and San Francisco) and tenth in the United States.[1]

History[edit]

After the Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889, Seattle began reconstruction of the city's central business district under a new building code requiring the use of fireproof materials, such as stone and brick. By the end of 1890, 465 buildings had been built, completing the initial phase of reconstruction, and city boosters looked to build modern high-rise buildings after the infusion of new money from the Klondike gold rush later that decade.[8][9] The Pioneer Building, whose observation tower surpassed 110 feet (34 m), was completed in 1892 and is regarded as the city's first modern high-rise building.[10][11] The Alaska Building, completed in 1904 and rising 203 feet (62 m) above 2nd Avenue in Pioneer Square, is considered to be Seattle's first skyscraper and first steel-framed high-rise building. It held the title of tallest habitable building in the city until the completion of the 205-foot (62 m), 18-story Hoge Building in 1911.[12][13] Both buildings had been surpassed in height by the clocktower of King Street Station, opened in 1906, which stands 245 feet (75 m) tall.[14]

Seattle's continued growth at the turn of the century, bolstered by the hosting of the AlaskaYukonPacific Exposition in 1909 and the opening of the Metropolitan Tract to development, led to a building boom north of Yesler Way in the modern-day downtown.[15] On July 4, 1914, firearm and typewriter magnate Lyman Cornelius Smith opened the 484-foot-tall (148 m) Smith Tower, the city's new tallest building. For several years, the 38-story tower would hold the title of tallest west of the Mississippi River, and dominate the Seattle skyline.[16] By the end of the 1920s building boom, several new Art Deco high-rises above 200 feet (61 m) were completed in Seattle, including the Medical Dental Building (1925), Seattle Tower (1930), Roosevelt Hotel (1929), Washington Athletic Club (1930), Textile Tower Building (1930), Harborview Medical Center (1931), and Pacific Tower (1933).[1]

New high-rise construction in Seattle was halted during the Great Depression and World War II, and slowed during the post-war economic boom in the 1950s, as suburbanization took hold in the region.[15] The first new building in downtown to be built after the war was the Norton Building in 1959, a 19-story office building in the International Style with a glass curtain wall and simple exterior features, a departure from the previous Neo-Gothic and Art Deco styles used in high-rises.[10][17] Seattle was selected to host the World's Fair in 1962, revitalizing the downtown area and bringing the construction of the fairgrounds' centerpiece, the Space Needle. The 605-foot (184 m) observation tower became the symbol of the fair and a landmark for Seattle, and was the first new structure to surpass the Smith Tower in height.[15][18]

An aerial view of Downtown Seattle looking north in 1969, after the completion of the 50-story Seafirst Building

The 50-story Seafirst Building (now Safeco Plaza) became the city's tallest when it opened in 1969, standing 630 feet (190 m) and signalling the start of a major construction boom in Downtown Seattle.[1][10] The boom would last well into the 1980s, despite an economic downturn caused by the Boeing bust and 1970s energy crisis, and introduce elements of Modernist and Postmodern architecture to high-rise construction in the city.[19] During this period, 15 skyscrapers taller than 400 feet (122 m) in height were constructed in Seattle,[citation needed] including 901 Fifth Avenue (1973), the Wells Fargo Center (1973), the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building (1974), 1600 Seventh Avenue (1976), Rainier Tower (1977), 1111 Third Avenue (1980), 800 Fifth Avenue (1981), Union Square (1981 and 1989), and the Westin Building.[1][15] In 1984, the 76-story, 943-foot (287 m) Columbia Center was completed, becoming the tallest building in Seattle and on the West Coast of the United States.[1][10] During the 1980s, the suburb of Bellevue emerged as an urban center, boasting a skyline of its own that would continue to grow well into the 21st century.[20]

The Downtown Seattle skyline in 1986, viewed from Elliott Bay

The boom of the 1980s was capped by the Columbia Center and other downtown towers such as 1000 Second Avenue (1987), 1201 Third Avenue (1988), the U.S. Bank Centre (1989) and the Gateway Tower (1990),[1][15] with new downtown office space in the decade surpassing what had been built over the previous 100 years in Seattle.[21] The new wave of development sparked fears of "Manhattanization" in downtown that would push out lower-income residents and reduce quality of life.[10][22] A downtown land use plan adopted in 1984 and shelved until 1986 required the addition of public benefits for major construction projects. Opposition to the new downtown plan, which would allow "generous" new construction unhindered by a height limit,[23] led to the creation of the "Citizen's Alternative Plan", which would limit buildings to 450 feet (140 m) and restrict development to an annual limit of 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) of space per year. The plan was approved by voters as a ballot initiative on May 16, 1989, replacing the land use plan and introduced the city's modern design review process for new development.[10][24][25]

Development of new high-rises slowed down across U.S. cities during the early 1990s recession as demand caught up to an over-built market,[26] with Seattle's 1980s office buildings suffering from a lack of tenants that forced ownership changes or the threat of bankruptcy and foreclosure.[27] By 1992, vacancy rates for office space in Downtown Seattle reached 14.7 percent, while vacancy rates in outlying suburbs remained much lower.[28] The dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, including a local economy boosted by Boeing and Microsoft, led a cut of the vacancy rate to 6 percent by 1997;[29] between 1997 and 1999, new office buildings created an average of 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m2) of additional office space per year.[30] After the burst of the dot-com bubble and the early 2000s recession, downtown office vacancies shot up from 1 percent to 13 percent by the end of 2001.[31]

Two major downtown projects, the IDX Tower (2003) and WaMu Center (2006), were completed during the early 2000s and were the first office buildings to be built since the Key Tower in 1990.[32] By the mid-2000s, office vacancies in Downtown Seattle improved to below 10 percent, but office developers were hesitant to break ground on new projects.[33][34] A new downtown zoning plan adopted in 2006 effectively repealed the 1989 Citizens' Alternative Plan and its modified 540-foot (160 m) height limit, favoring unlimited heights in downtown and 400-foot (120 m) residential towers on the periphery of downtown.[35] The new zoning plan set off a wave of high-rise residential development in the late 2000s, including the completion of Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue (2008), Escala (2009), and Olive 8 (2009), coming at the peak of the United States housing bubble and the demand for downtown luxury condominiums before the Great Recession.[36][37]

During the Great Recession, downtown office vacancies rose to a record 21 percent by the beginning of 2010,[38] but dropped to 10 percent by 2013;[39] the downturn was partially blamed on the collapse of Washington Mutual, which employed 3,500 in its downtown offices.[40] The surge in demand for office space revived several proposed downtown high-rise office projects, including The Mark and Madison Centre, both exceeding 500 feet (150 m) in height and planned to open in 2017.[41] Other planned office and mixed-use buildings in Downtown Seattle include 2&U, the stalled Civic Square project, and the Rainier Square Tower, proposed to be the city's second-tallest building at 850 feet (260 m).[1][42] Since 2010, developers have also proposed high-rise residential buildings in Downtown Seattle, including a supertall 101-story tower named 4/C, which would become the city's tallest building at 1,029 feet (314 m),[43] and the 880-foot (270 m) 888 Tower.[44]

Recent high-rise development in Seattle has been concentrated in the Denny Triangle and South Lake Union areas to the north of Downtown Seattle, both rezoned to support development in the 2000s after decades of supporting industrial and low-rise commercial establishments.[45][46] Office development came first to the Denny Triangle area in the mid-2000s, with the construction of the United States Courthouse (2004) and 1918 Eighth Avenue (2009).[1] In 2012, Amazon.com announced their intention to relocate their South Lake Union headquarters to a complex of high-rises in Denny Triangle;[47] the first towers, the 520-foot (160 m) Doppler and Day 1, opened in 2016, and at least three more towers are in development.[48] The Denny Triangle will also host the region's largest hotel, the 45-story Hyatt Regency Seattle near the Washington State Convention Center, scheduled to be completed in 2018.[49]

Residential developments in the Denny Triangle area above 400 feet (120 m) include Aspira (2010), Premiere on Pine (2015), Cirrus (2015), and the under construction Kinects, Stratus, McKenzie Apartments, and Tilt 49.[1] The Denny Way corridor in South Lake Union, upzoned in 2013 by the city council, is proposed to support at least seven high-rise residential buildings above 400 feet (120 m) in height, including the under construction 970 Denny Way.[50] Other parts of downtown Seattle have also been recipients of high-rise residential development, including the twin Insignia Towers in Belltown (20152016), and the under construction Tower 12, Helios and 2nd & Pike near Pike Place Market.[1]

Tallest completed buildings[edit]

This list ranks Seattle skyscrapers that stand at least 400 feet (122 m) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed. Freestanding observation towers, while not habitable buildings, are included for comparison purposes; however, they are not ranked.

Rank Name Image Height[1]
ft (m)
Floors[1] Use[1] Year[1] Coordinates Notes
1 Columbia Center Columbia center from smith tower.jpg 937 (286) 76 Office 1985 473616.31N 1221950.48W / 47.6045306N 122.3306889W / 47.6045306; -122.3306889 (Columbia Center)
2 1201 Third Avenue Seattle Washington Mutual Tower 2004-08-30.jpg 772 (235) 55 Office 1988 473625.92N 1222009.96W / 47.6072000N 122.3361000W / 47.6072000; -122.3361000 (1201 Third Avenue)
3 Two Union Square Two Union Square 2.jpg 740 (226) 56 Office 1989 473637.38N 1221955.33W / 47.6103833N 122.3320361W / 47.6103833; -122.3320361 (Two Union Square)
4 Seattle Municipal Tower Seattle Municipal Tower.JPG 722 (220) 57 Office 1990 473618.36N 1221947.28W / 47.6051000N 122.3298000W / 47.6051000; -122.3298000 (Seattle Municipal Tower)
5 Safeco Plaza 1001 Fourth Avenue Seattle Washington.jpg 630 (192) 50 Office 1969 473621.96N 1222002.76W / 47.6061000N 122.3341000W / 47.6061000; -122.3341000 (Safeco Plaza)
  • Tallest building constructed in Seattle in the 1960s
  • Tallest building in Seattle from 1969 to 1985
  • Originally called the Seattle-First National Bank Building
6 U.S. Bank Centre City Centre Seattle Washington.jpg 606 (185) 44 Office 1989 473638.16N 1222004.20W / 47.6106000N 122.3345000W / 47.6106000; -122.3345000 (U.S. Bank Centre)
Space Needle[C] VolunteerParkNeedle.jpg 605 (184) 5 Observation 1962 473713.44N 1222056.76W / 47.6204000N 122.3491000W / 47.6204000; -122.3491000 (Space Needle)
  • Tallest observation tower in Washington
  • 4th tallest observation tower in the United States
7 Russell Investments Center WaMucenter.JPG 598 (182) 42 Office 2006 473626.32N 1222013.59W / 47.6073111N 122.3371083W / 47.6073111; -122.3371083 (Russell Investments Center)
  • Tallest building constructed in Seattle in the 2000s
8 Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center (Seattle).jpg 573 (175) 47 Office 1983 473618.00N 1222002.76W / 47.6050000N 122.3341000W / 47.6050000; -122.3341000 (Wells Fargo Center)
9 800 Fifth Avenue Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza Building.jpg 543 (166) 42 Office 1981 473620.88N 1221948.72W / 47.6058000N 122.3302000W / 47.6058000; -122.3302000 (Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza)
  • Formerly known as Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza from 1981 to 2014.[54]
10 901 Fifth Avenue 901 Fifth Avenue (Seattle, Washington).jpg 536 (163) 41 Office 1973 473620.99N 1221955.20W / 47.6058306N 122.3320000W / 47.6058306; -122.3320000 (901 Fifth Avenue)
  • Tallest building constructed in Seattle in the 1970s
11 Madison Centre Madison Centre.jpg 530 (162) 36 Office 2017 473623.29N 1221952.61W / 47.6064694N 122.3312806W / 47.6064694; -122.3312806 (Madison Centre)
  • Tallest building constructed in Seattle in the 2010s
12 Doppler Amazon Tower I topped out, June 2015.jpg 524 (160) 37 Office 2015 473654.52N 1222018.88W / 47.6151444N 122.3385778W / 47.6151444; -122.3385778 (Amazon Tower I)
  • Also known as Amazon Tower I and Rufus 2.0 Block 14
13 Day 1 Day 1 Tower Seattle WA Jan 17.jpg 521 (159) 37 Office 2016 473657.13N 1222023.46W / 47.6158694N 122.3398500W / 47.6158694; -122.3398500 (Amazon Tower II)
  • Also known as Amazon Tower II and Rufus 2.0 Block 19[55][56]
14 Rainier Tower Rainier Tower Seattle Washington.jpg 514 (157) 31 Office 1977 473632.47N 1222002.58W / 47.6090194N 122.3340500W / 47.6090194; -122.3340500 (Rainier Tower)
15 Fourth and Madison Building Fourth and Madison building.jpg 512 (156) 40 Office 2002 473619.79N 1221958.91W / 47.6054972N 122.3330306W / 47.6054972; -122.3330306 (Fourth and Madison Building)
16 1918 Eighth Avenue 1918 Eighth Avenue (Seattle, Washington).jpg 500 (152) 36 Office 2009 473656.52N 1222009.96W / 47.6157000N 122.3361000W / 47.6157000; -122.3361000 (1918 Eighth Avenue)
17 1600 Seventh Avenue Qwest Plaza.jpg 498 (152) 33 Office 1976 473647.52N 1222003.84W / 47.6132000N 122.3344000W / 47.6132000; -122.3344000 (1600 Seventh Avenue)
18 1000 Second Avenue 1000 Second Avenue, Seattle from 2nd & Marion.jpg 493 (150) 43 Office 1987 473616.92N 1222007.80W / 47.6047000N 122.3355000W / 47.6047000; -122.3355000 (1000 Second Avenue)
19 Henry M. Jackson Federal Building Seattle - Jackson Federal Building 02.jpg 487 (148) 37 Office 1974 473615.84N 1222007.44W / 47.6044000N 122.3354000W / 47.6044000; -122.3354000 (Henry M. Jackson Federal Building)
20 Smith Tower SmithTower Seattle WA USA2.jpg 462 (141) 42 Office, Residential 1914 473607.53N 1221954.49W / 47.6020917N 122.3318028W / 47.6020917; -122.3318028 (Smith Tower)
  • Tallest building constructed in Seattle in the 1910s
  • Tallest building in Seattle from 1914 to 1969
21 One Union Square One Union Square.jpg 456 (139) 36 Office 1981 473634.89N 1221955.52W / 47.6096917N 122.3320889W / 47.6096917; -122.3320889 (One Union Square)
22 Olive 8 Seattle Olive-8 01.jpg 455 (139) 39 Hotel, Residential 2009 473648.96N 1222002.76W / 47.6136000N 122.3341000W / 47.6136000; -122.3341000 (Olive 8)
23 1111 Third Avenue 1111 Third Avenue, Seattle, from the west.jpg 454 (138) 34 Office 1980 473624.00N 1222006.00W / 47.6066667N 122.3350000W / 47.6066667; -122.3350000 (1111 Third Avenue)
24 Westin Seattle North Tower Westin Seattle from Olive 8.jpg 449 (137) 47 Hotel 1982 473649.50N 1222019.52W / 47.6137500N 122.3387556W / 47.6137500; -122.3387556 (Westin Seattle North Tower)
  • Tallest all-hotel building in the city
25 Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue (Seattle).jpg 440 (134) 38 Residential 2008 473633.48N 1222022.20W / 47.6093000N 122.3395000W / 47.6093000; -122.3395000 (Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue)
Premiere on Pine Premiere on Pine from Olive 8.jpg 440 (134) 42 Residential 2014 473647.53N 1221955.91W / 47.6132028N 122.3321972W / 47.6132028; -122.3321972 (Premiere on Pine)
Cirrus Cirrus from 7th & Blanchard (23257327589).jpg 440 (134) 41 Residential 2015 473659.46N 1222014.64W / 47.6165167N 122.3374000W / 47.6165167; -122.3374000 (Cirrus (Seattle))
Insignia South Tower Insignia Towers, Seattle.jpg 440 (134) 41 Residential 2015 473659.50N 1222035.53W / 47.6165278N 122.3432028W / 47.6165278; -122.3432028 (Insignia South Tower)
Insignia North Tower 440 (134) 41 Residential 2016 473701.29N 1222037.36W / 47.6170250N 122.3437111W / 47.6170250; -122.3437111 (Insignia North Tower)
Kinects Kinects Tower under construction, April 2016 - 01.jpg 440 (134) 40 Residential 2017 473701.39N 1221953.44W / 47.6170528N 122.3315111W / 47.6170528; -122.3315111 (Kinects Tower)
Helios 2nd and Pine, Seattle under construction, April 2016.jpg 440 (134) 40 Residential 2017 473638.38N 1222022.95W / 47.6106611N 122.3397083W / 47.6106611; -122.3397083 (Second & Pine Tower)
32 Westin Building WestinBuilding.jpg 409 (125) 34 Office 1981 473651.48N 1222018.60W / 47.6143000N 122.3385000W / 47.6143000; -122.3385000 (Westin Building)
33 Aspira Aspira from Virginia & Boren, Seattle (23516661022).jpg 400 (122) 37 Residential 2009 473657.77N 1222000.50W / 47.6160472N 122.3334722W / 47.6160472; -122.3334722 (Aspira (Seattle))

Tallest under construction, approved and proposed[edit]

Under construction[edit]

This lists skyscrapers that are under construction in Seattle that are expected to rise over 400 feet (122 m), but are not yet completed structures.

Name Height
ft (m)
Floors Use Year of compeletion
(est.)
Coordinates Notes
Rainier Square Tower 849 (259) 59 Hotel, Office, Residential 2019 473633.12N 1222005.89W / 47.6092000N 122.3349694W / 47.6092000; -122.3349694 (Rainier Square Tower)
  • Construction began in October 2017[42][57]
F5 Tower 660 (201) 43 Hotel, Office 2017 473619.00N 1221952.00W / 47.6052778N 122.3311111W / 47.6052778; -122.3311111 (The Mark)
  • Topped out in 2016
  • Height estimates range 645680 ft (197207 m) due to the sloped nature of project site.
Amazon Tower III (Block 20) 535 (163) 38 Office 2019 473659.69N 1222020.68W / 47.6165806N 122.3390778W / 47.6165806; -122.3390778 (Amazon Tower III (Block 20))
  • Excavation began in 2016[58]
2&U 527 (161) 38 Office 2019 473624.50N 1222013.63W / 47.6068056N 122.3371194W / 47.6068056; -122.3371194 (2&U)
  • Excavation began in January 2017[59]
Hyatt Regency Seattle 500 (152) 45 Hotel 2018 473654.00N 1222004.92W / 47.6150000N 122.3347000W / 47.6150000; -122.3347000 (808 Howell Street)
  • Planned to be tallest and largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest when completed[60]
McKenzie Apartments 446 (136) 39 Residential 2017 473703.68N 1222021.50W / 47.6176889N 122.3393056W / 47.6176889; -122.3393056 (2202 Eighth Avenue)
1120 Denny Way Tower 1 440 (134) 41 Residential 2020 47377.1N 122207.2W / 47.618639N 122.335333W / 47.618639; -122.335333 (1220 Denny Way Tower 1)
1120 Denny Way Tower 2 440 (134) 41 Residential 2020 47377.1N 122207.2W / 47.618639N 122.335333W / 47.618639; -122.335333 (1220 Denny Way Tower 2)
2031 Third Avenue 440 (134) 36 Office, Residential 2019 473646.1N 1222031.6W / 47.612806N 122.342111W / 47.612806; -122.342111 (2031 Third Avenue)
  • Proposed by Martin Selig Real Estate[61][62]
Arriv 440 (134) 41 Residential 2019 473651.91N 1222030.24W / 47.6144194N 122.3417333W / 47.6144194; -122.3417333 (2116 4th Avenue)
  • Construction suspended from August 2015 to October 2016[63]
  • Formerly named Potala Tower
Stratus 440 (134) 40 Residential 2017 473701.83N 1222015.58W / 47.6171750N 122.3376611W / 47.6171750; -122.3376611 (2101 Ninth Avenue)
AMLI Arc 440 (134) 36 Office, Residential 2017 473659.55N 1221953.28W / 47.6165417N 122.3314667W / 47.6165417; -122.3314667 (AMLI Arc)
  • Topped out. Also includes 11-story office building named "Tilt 49"
2nd and Pike 440 (134) 39 Residential 2017 473633.00N 1222019.00W / 47.6091667N 122.3386111W / 47.6091667; -122.3386111 (West Edge Tower)
  • Topped out in August 2017
Nexus 440 (134) 41 Residential 2019 473701.90N 1221950.10W / 47.6171944N 122.3305833W / 47.6171944; -122.3305833 (Nexus)
970 Denny Way 435 (133) 40 Residential 2018 473708.85N 1222015.38W / 47.6191250N 122.3376056W / 47.6191250; -122.3376056 (970 Denny Way)
The Emerald 435 (133) 39 Residential 2019 473637.57N 1222025.75W / 47.6104361N 122.3404861W / 47.6104361; -122.3404861 (1613 Second Avenue)
Seattle Times Project North Tower 425 (130) 41 Residential 2019 473709.66N 1222007.56W / 47.6193500N 122.3354333W / 47.6193500; -122.3354333 (Seattle Times Project North Tower)
Seattle Times Project South Tower 415 (126) 41 Residential 2019 473708.17N 1222005.25W / 47.6189361N 122.3347917W / 47.6189361; -122.3347917 (Seattle Times Project South Tower) [68]

Approved[edit]

This lists skyscrapers that are approved for construction by the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections that are expected to rise over 400 feet (122 m), but have not started excavation.

Name Height
ft (m)
Floors Use Year *
(est.)
Coordinates Notes
2000 Third Avenue 499 (152) 46 Residential 473646.15N 1222027.65W / 47.6128194N 122.3410139W / 47.6128194; -122.3410139 (2000 Third Avenue)
  • Proposed by Westbank Projects Corp.[69][70]
1200 Stewart Street Tower I 440 (134) 41 Residential 473705.80N 1221954.16W / 47.6182778N 122.3317111W / 47.6182778; -122.3317111 (1200 Stewart Street Tower I)
1200 Stewart Street Tower II 440 (134) 41 Residential 473705.76N 1221956.53W / 47.6182667N 122.3323694W / 47.6182667; -122.3323694 (1200 Stewart Street Tower II)
1901 Minor Ave I 440 (134) 39 Residential 473703.5N 1221956.7W / 47.617639N 122.332417W / 47.617639; -122.332417 (1901 Minor Ave)
1901 Minor Ave II 440 (134) 39 Residential 473703.5N 1221956.7W / 47.617639N 122.332417W / 47.617639; -122.332417 (1901 Minor Ave)
  • Proposed by Crescent Heights[71]
2300 6th Avenue Tower 1 440 (134) 41 Residential 473701.8N 1222031.6W / 47.617167N 122.342111W / 47.617167; -122.342111 (2300 6th Avenue Tower 1)
2300 6th Avenue Tower 2 440 (134) 41 Residential 473701.8N 1222031.6W / 47.617167N 122.342111W / 47.617167; -122.342111 (2300 6th Avenue Tower 2)
Icon Tower 435 (133) 43 Residential 2018 473706.12N 1222040.35W / 47.6183667N 122.3445417W / 47.6183667; -122.3445417 (Icon Tower)

* Table entries without text indicate that information regarding one or more of building heights, floor counts, and dates of completion has not yet been released.

Proposed[edit]

This lists skyscrapers that are proposed for construction in Seattle that are expected to rise over 400 feet (122 m), but are not yet completed structures.

Name Height
ft (m)
Floors Year*
(est.)
Coordinates Notes
4/C 1,029 (314) 93 2020 473614.00N 1221953.00W / 47.6038889N 122.3313889W / 47.6038889; -122.3313889 (4/C Tower)
3rd & Cherry 629 (192) 57 473612.24N 1221952.32W / 47.6034000N 122.3312000W / 47.6034000; -122.3312000 (Seattle Civic Square)
  • Proposed by Bosa.[79]
8th & Pine 600 (183) 48 473646.91N 1221957.22W / 47.6130306N 122.3325611W / 47.6130306; -122.3325611 (8th & Pine)
  • Proposed by Fana Group
Altitude Sky Tower 579 (176) 50 2019 473646.5N 1222018.2W / 47.612917N 122.338389W / 47.612917; -122.338389 (Altitude Sky Tower)
1933 Fifth Avenue 525 (160) 47 473648.0N 1222021.0W / 47.613333N 122.339167W / 47.613333; -122.339167 (1933 Fifth Avenue)
  • Proposed by Douglaston Development[82]
2025 5th Ave 475 (145) 40
  • Proposed by Vulcan Real Estate[83]
2005 5th Ave 475 (145) 50 473649.2N 1222022.3W / 47.613667N 122.339528W / 47.613667; -122.339528 (2005 5th Ave)
The 8 Tower 440 (134) 41 47376.7N 1222026.0W / 47.618528N 122.340556W / 47.618528; -122.340556 (The 8 Tower)
1905 Third Ave 440 (134) 473641.8N 1222024.5W / 47.611611N 122.340139W / 47.611611; -122.340139 (1905 Third Avenue)
  • Proposed by Martin Selig Real Estate[84]
Denny Centre 440 (134) 41
  • Proposed by Bosa Development[85]
110 Ninth Avenue 400 (122) 41 2018 473709.0N 1222021.9W / 47.619167N 122.339417W / 47.619167; -122.339417 (110 Ninth Avenue)
  • Proposed by Vulcan Real Estate on the Denny Playfield[86][87][88]
2326 Sixth Ave North Tower 400 (122) 42 2018 473703.2N 1222033.7W / 47.617556N 122.342694W / 47.617556; -122.342694 (2326 Sixth Avenue)
2326 Sixth Ave South Tower 400 (122) 42 2018 473703.2N 1222033.7W / 47.617556N 122.342694W / 47.617556; -122.342694 (2326 Sixth Avenue)
  • Proposed on Antioch University campus[89][90]
121 Boren Ave North Tower I 400 (122) 42 473708.4N 1222011.3W / 47.619000N 122.336472W / 47.619000; -122.336472 (121 Boren Avenue)

[91][92]

121 Boren Ave North Tower II 400 (122) 42 473708.4N 1222011.3W / 47.619000N 122.336472W / 47.619000; -122.336472 (121 Boren Avenue)

[91][92]

2301 Seventh Ave North Tower 400 (122) 40 473703.2N 1222032.2W / 47.617556N 122.342278W / 47.617556; -122.342278 (2301 Seventh Avenue)
  • Proposed by H5 on Antioch University campus[89][90]
2301 Seventh Ave South Tower 400 (122) 40 473703.2N 1222032.2W / 47.617556N 122.342278W / 47.617556; -122.342278 (2301 Seventh Avenue)
  • Proposed by H5 on Antioch University campus[89][90]
1001 John Street 400 (122) 40 2017 473710.4N 1222012.4W / 47.619556N 122.336778W / 47.619556; -122.336778 (1001 John Street)
  • Proposed by Mack Real Estate Group[93]
1800 Terry Ave 400 (122) 35

[94]

* Table entries without text indicate that information regarding one or more of building heights, floor counts, and dates of completion has not yet been released.

Timeline of tallest buildings[edit]

This lists buildings that once held the title of tallest building in Seattle. The Space Needle is not a building, and is thus not included in this list; the 605-foot (184 m) tower[95] was the tallest structure in the city from 1961 to 1969.

Name Image Street address Years as tallest Height
ft (m)
Floors Reference
Pioneer Building Seattle - Pioneer Building - 1900.jpg 612 1st Avenue 18921904 (12 years) 110 (34)[D] 6 [10][11]
Alaska Building Seattle - Alaska Building 01.jpg 618 2nd Avenue 19041906 (2 years) 203 (62) 14 [12]
King Street Station Tower King Street Station, undergoing renovation.jpg 303 South Jackson Street 19061914 (8 years) 245 (75) 8 [14]
Smith Tower Seattle - Smith Tower 01.jpg 506 2nd Avenue 19141969 (55 years) 489 (149) 38 [16]
Safeco Plaza 1001 Fourth Avenue Seattle Washington.jpg 1001 4th Avenue 19691985 (16 years) 630 (192) 50 [10]
Columbia Center Columbia center from smith tower.jpg 701 5th Avenue 1985present 943 (287) 76 [10]

Notes[edit]

C. ^ The Space Needle is not a habitable building, but is included in this list for comparative purposes. Per a ruling by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, freestanding observation towers are not considered to be buildings, as they are not fully habitable structures.
D. ^ The height of the Pioneer Building was reduced to 92 feet (28 m) after the 1949 Olympia earthquake.

References[edit]

General references
  • "Seattle". Emporis. Retrieved February 17, 2017.  (including individual entries)
  • "Seattle". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.  (including individual entries)
  • "Shaping Seattle: Buildings". Seattle.gov. Retrieved October 4, 2017.  (including individual entries)
Citations
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External links[edit]