1200 Fifth

1200 Fifth
1200 Fifth
	Location within downtown Seattle
Former names	IBM Building
General information
Type	Commercial offices
Location	1200 Fifth Avenue; Seattle, Washington, 98101
Coordinates	47°36′30″N 122°19′59″W / 47.608398°N 122.332935°W
Construction started	May 1963
Completed	October 1964
Owner	Unico Properties
Height
Roof	84.13 m (276.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	20
Floor area	225,000 sq ft (20,900 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Minoru Yamasaki ; NBBJ
Structural engineer	Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Main contractor	Howard S. Wright Companies
References

1200 Fifth, formerly the IBM Building, is a 20-story office building in the Metropolitan Tract, part of downtown Seattle, Washington, United States.^[4] The building was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who also was architect of Rainier Tower on the corner diagonally opposite, and the World Trade Center in New York City.^[5] Construction on the building began in May 1963 and it was completed in October 1964.^[6]^[7]

Nard Jones wrote in 1972 that "There is an architectural poetry about [the building] that is at variance with the endless jibes at computerization and the alleged sober pragmatism of IBM personnel."^[8] The building's crown has a series of 191 "fins" that measure 23 feet (7.0 m) tall and surround the machinery floors.^[9]

The corner of the complex at 5th Avenue and University Street was the site of the Seattle Ice Arena from 1915 to 1963.

References

^ "Emporis building ID 119482". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ "1200 Fifth". SkyscraperPage.
^ 1200 Fifth at Structurae
^ "IBM Building". The Skyscraper Center. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
^ Woodridge, Sally B.; Roger Montgomery (1980). A Guide to Architecture in Washington State. University of Washington Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-2959-5779-1.
^ "Construction To Begin On IBM Building". The Seattle Times. May 11, 1963. p. 11.
^ Staples, Alice (November 8, 1964). "Construction Industry Honors Structure From Ivy-Covered To IBM". The Seattle Times. p. 22.
^ Jones, Nard (1972). Seattle. Doubleday. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-3850-1875-3. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
^ "Crown Fin for IBM Building". The Seattle Times. June 11, 1964. p. 21.