Pacific Medical Center
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Medical Center is a 16-story building on Beacon Hill in Seattle, Washington. It is located at 1200 12th Avenue South. The building is of a Art Deco
style. It was completed in 1932 and opened in 1933 as a hospital for the Marines. It continues to function as a medical center. Amazon.com
had its headquarters at the building for several years.
Guard, the US Light House Service, and poor and indigent people defined as “federal
compensation cases”. In 1951, it was redesignated as US Public Health Service facility along with all US marine hospitals. The federal government ceased operation of the hospital in 1981. Control was shifted to Seattle as the city chartered the Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority (PHPDA).
A $9.3 million county bond paid for seismic improvements that took place between 1991 and 1994. A new tower was constructed on the north side of the building to create a buttress for the original structure. The addition was designed by architects Zimmer Gunsul Frasca, and the innovation received an honor from the American Institute of Architects. The project created 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²) of additional space that was not initially occupied. As the medical organization struggled financially, attempts to lease at least 155000 sq ft (14,400 m²) of the building failed over the course of several years. In 1998 and with medical facilities continuing to occupy the bottom two floors of the building, Amazon.com
signed a sublease through 2010. The interior was extensively renovated.
The exterior of the building suffered substantial damage during the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. On the top three floors, 80 percent the perimeter walls were damaged. A brick pinnacle on the upper roof roof fell through a roof on the 10th floor. An elevator shaft and five floors were flooded when a mechanical water line ruptured. There were no injuries but it was estimated that the repairs would cost $6 million. In 2003, the clinical group practice of the PHPDA officially split off to form a 501(c)3 health care organization, PacMed Clinics (doing business as Pacific Medical Centers
or PMC).
In 2010, Amazon.com began the move of its headquarters to a new campus in the city's South Lake Union neighborhood. The Seattle development firm Wright Runstad and Company has a long-term lease agreement with PacMed, which continues to operate on the first two levels. As of August 2011, the county is considering the building as a new location of its youth detention center.
, designed the original structure. Carl Frelinghuysen Gould
designed it in an Art Deco
style. Construction began in 1930. Located 350 ft (106.7 m) above sea level at the northern edge of Beacon Hill, the 239 ft (72.8 m) tower overlooks downtown Seattle
and Elliot Bay. The 259703 sq ft (24,127.2 m²) building sits on a 9.5 adj=on property. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979. In 1992, the building received landmark status from the city. It received the Award for Excellence in 2000 from the Urban Land Institute.
Amazon.com's former space features high ceilings, conference and meeting facilities, stable concrete, and high-capacity electrical power. The facility also has an MRI
imaging center.
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...
style. It was completed in 1932 and opened in 1933 as a hospital for the Marines. It continues to function as a medical center. Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
had its headquarters at the building for several years.
History
The building was opened in 1933 by the U.S. government as a Marine hospital. Replacing a facility in Port Townsend, it opened with 312 beds in 1933. The hospital originally served veterans, merchant seamen, the US CoastGuard, the US Light House Service, and poor and indigent people defined as “federal
compensation cases”. In 1951, it was redesignated as US Public Health Service facility along with all US marine hospitals. The federal government ceased operation of the hospital in 1981. Control was shifted to Seattle as the city chartered the Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority (PHPDA).
A $9.3 million county bond paid for seismic improvements that took place between 1991 and 1994. A new tower was constructed on the north side of the building to create a buttress for the original structure. The addition was designed by architects Zimmer Gunsul Frasca, and the innovation received an honor from the American Institute of Architects. The project created 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²) of additional space that was not initially occupied. As the medical organization struggled financially, attempts to lease at least 155000 sq ft (14,400 m²) of the building failed over the course of several years. In 1998 and with medical facilities continuing to occupy the bottom two floors of the building, Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
signed a sublease through 2010. The interior was extensively renovated.
The exterior of the building suffered substantial damage during the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. On the top three floors, 80 percent the perimeter walls were damaged. A brick pinnacle on the upper roof roof fell through a roof on the 10th floor. An elevator shaft and five floors were flooded when a mechanical water line ruptured. There were no injuries but it was estimated that the repairs would cost $6 million. In 2003, the clinical group practice of the PHPDA officially split off to form a 501(c)3 health care organization, PacMed Clinics (doing business as Pacific Medical Centers
or PMC).
In 2010, Amazon.com began the move of its headquarters to a new campus in the city's South Lake Union neighborhood. The Seattle development firm Wright Runstad and Company has a long-term lease agreement with PacMed, which continues to operate on the first two levels. As of August 2011, the county is considering the building as a new location of its youth detention center.
Design and facilities
Architectural firm Bebb and Gould, assisted by the John Graham CompanyJohn Graham & Company
John Graham & Company, or John Graham & Associates was the name of an architectural firm, founded in 1900 in Seattle, Washington by English-born architect John Graham , and maintained by his son John Graham Jr. ....
, designed the original structure. Carl Frelinghuysen Gould
Carl Frelinghuysen Gould
Carl Frelinghuysen Gould also spelled Carl Freylinghausen Gould, was a leading architect in the Pacific Northwest, and founder and first chair of the architecture program at the University of Washington. As the lead designer in the firm Bebb & Gould, with his partner, Charles H...
designed it in an Art Deco
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...
style. Construction began in 1930. Located 350 ft (106.7 m) above sea level at the northern edge of Beacon Hill, the 239 ft (72.8 m) tower overlooks downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
and Elliot Bay. The 259703 sq ft (24,127.2 m²) building sits on a 9.5 adj=on property. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979. In 1992, the building received landmark status from the city. It received the Award for Excellence in 2000 from the Urban Land Institute.
Amazon.com's former space features high ceilings, conference and meeting facilities, stable concrete, and high-capacity electrical power. The facility also has an MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
imaging center.
External links
- Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority, a short history
- Property profile, Wright Runstad & Company
- Listing, Emporis.com