Built in 1969 and originally known as 1001 Fourth Avenue Plaza, this was one of the city’s first real skyscrapers. At the time, it was a darling of the architectural world, though nowadays the 50-story bronze block looks dated. Locals nicknamed it ‘the box that the Space Needle came in.'

In the plaza outside is the Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae by Henry Moore – a result of Seattle’s ‘1% for art’ clause, under which 1% of the construction cost of the building is invested in public art.


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1. Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae

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These three large pieces of the human anatomy recreated in bronze are the work of British sculptor Henry Moore. They stand guard at the entrance to the 50…

2. Seattle Central Library

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Rivaling the Space Needle and the Museum of Pop Culture for architectural ingenuity, Seattle Central Library looks like a giant diamond that's dropped in…

3. 1201 Third Avenue

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The beauty of the Seattle skyline is reflected in the 55-story 1201 Third Avenue building at 3rd and Seneca, which changes colors with the clouds and…

4. Seattle Tower

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Formerly the Northern Life Tower, this 26-story art deco skyscraper, built in 1928, was designed to reflect the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The…

5. Cobb Building

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Look up at the beaux-arts style Cobb Building (1910) and see remnants of an older Seattle. Peering out from the 11-story edifice you'll see several stern…

6. Columbia Center

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Everyone rushes for the iconic Space Needle, but it's not the tallest Seattle viewpoint. That honor goes to the sleek, tinted-windowed Columbia Center at…

7. Arctic Building

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Like the psychedelic Beatles' song, the unique Arctic Building, completed in 1917, is celebrated for its walruses. Their heads (25 of them), surrounded by…

8. Rainier Tower

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With its inverted base that looks like a tree that's been nibbled by a beaver, this urban behemoth was finished in 1977, after which it quickly acquired…