Seattle Tower

Built in 1928 and once the tallest building in Seattle, the 27-story Art Deco masonry and steel building is a City of Seattle Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SHKS performed extensive envelope repairs at the Seattle Tower, ensuring a weather tight enclosure while restoring historic character. Following a conditions assessment of 1,000 original steel butterfly casement windows, all windows were restored to full operation and protected from weathering.

A unique design element of the building – the use of ten shades of iron spot brick – creates a visual gradation that makes the building appear taller from street level. Iron spot brick and terracotta masonry elements were assessed for damage and repaired. When elements were too damaged for repair, a variety of brick shades were used to determine an appropriate match and iron spots were visually replicated on-site by hand painting.