Exchange Building (Seattle, Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Exchange Building is a 22-story (275 ft) art deco
office building located in the central business district of Seattle, Washington
. It was designed by John Graham & Associates and completed in 1930.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
office building located in the central business district of 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...
. It was designed by John Graham & Associates and completed in 1930.
- The Exchange Building won the "Office Building of the Year" award from the Building Owners and Managers AssociationBuilding Owners and Managers AssociationThe Building Owners and Managers Association , founded in 1907, is a professional organization for commercial real estate professionals and is the oldest and largest in its field. Its membership includes building owners, managers, developers, leasing professionals, medical office building managers,...
in 2002. - At the time of its completion, the Exchange Building was the second-tallest reinforced concrete skyscraper in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - Landmark status was awarded April 20, 1990.
- John Graham, who was English, also designed many other landmark Seattle buildings, including the downtown Frederick & NelsonFrederick & NelsonFrederick & Nelson was a department store chain in the northwestern United States, based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891 as a furniture store, it later expanded to sell other types of merchandise. The company was acquired by Marshall Field & Company in 1929...
(now NordstromNordstromNordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
), the downtown Bon MarchéThe Bon MarchéThe Bon Marché, whose name means "the good deal" or "the good market", was the name chosen for a department store launched in Seattle, Washington, United States, in 1890 by Edward Nordhoff. The name comes from Le Bon Marché, a noted Paris retailer and one of the world's first department stores,...
(now a Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
), and the Dexter Horton Building. - In addition to many of Seattle’s commodity market exchanges, early tenants included General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, Standard OilStandard OilStandard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
, Edison Lamp Works, and Underwriters LaboratoriesUnderwriters LaboratoriesUnderwriters Laboratories Inc. is an independent product safety certification organization. Established in 1894, the company has its headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. UL develops standards and test procedures for products, materials, components, assemblies, tools and equipment, chiefly dealing...
. Later tenants included Pacific Northwest BellPacific Northwest BellPacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was an AT&T majority-owned Bell System company that provided local telecommunications services in Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was formed on July 1, 1961 when it was spun off from the Pacific Telephone and...
and King County Metro (formally Seattle Metro). As of 2011 major tenants include the King County Department of Transportation, RazorfishRazorfish-Fish:A common name used for three unrelated groups of fishes:* The genera Aeoliscus and Centriscus of the family Centriscidae, also known as shrimpfishes* The genus Xyrichtys of the family Labridae* The species Aeoliscus strigatus-Bivalve:...
(a unit of the Publicis Groupe), Slalom ConsultingSlalom ConsultingSlalom Consulting is a national business and technology consulting firm, founded in 2001. Slalom is a division of Slalom, LLC, and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.- History :In...
, and the Varolii Corporation