#190 l Washington Mutual Tower l SEATTLE l 235m l 55fl

Washington Mutual Tower
Seattle, USA

HEIGHT: 235m/771 feet
FLOORS: 55 floors
COMPLETION: 1988
ARCHITECT: Kohn Pedersen Fox Assoc.

It's not the tallest building in the Emerald City, but because of its location, height, and the way it plays with light the Washington Mutual Tower is certainly one of the most visible. It is an integral part of Seattle's skyline, and is easily recognizable from most parts of the city. Its unique shape and knobby top have earned it the nickname "the spark plug." But better than the view of the tower is the view from the tower. When the sky is clear, you can see the Olympic mountains, the Cascade mountains, and Mount Rainier. The tower has 26 elevators which move at speeds up to 1,400 feet per minute.

[Wu-Gambino]

9/10

Wow. I can't wait to go to Seattle.

[SteelCity32]

these are supposed to be on a scale of 1/10...etc

not 15/10

anyways, I give it a 9/10

Who cares????It isn't a big deal.

Simply beautiful! 10/10

[Rainier Meadows]

I'm in love with her!

10/10

[RafflesCity]

8/10

Nice use of glass. Looks pretty smart as well.

[RafflesCity]

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by TmanNYC </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Who cares????It isn't a big deal.</td></tr>
</table>

All threads MUST follow the format. Please read the sticky thread in the open forum for clarification.

Since this is your first time I have corrected the poll options for you.

Thank you. sorry about that

[JiminyCricket]

9.5 From Elliott Bay it is the most impressive tower. It sticks out like no other from that view. beautiful.

[renell]

the facade looks good, and so does the setbacks, but not so much on the pyramid on the top..

overall it looks cool 8/10

[RafflesCity]

[Liz L]

8.5/10 - It has fairly good height, with good contrast between stone and glass, and the gentle curves in the curtain wall in the center of each side, along with the set backs near the top, save it from boxiness. I also like the detailing in the stone, and the "X" patterns running up and across the center of each side, in between the wider stone mullions and spandrels, which make the building livlier and more satisfying to look at. All in all, the tower is a good example of unity without monotony and variety without chaos.

Probably the weakest feature, IMO, is the crown. While I'm glad it isn't flat, and that it actually uses setbacks, the pyramid and cube don't really seem to fit the rest of the structure - it and the pediments probably should have been the same color as the stone in the facade. And while I realize that the pediments are intended to echo the curves in the center of the facade, they seem to be a bit out of place against the rest of the building, which has no other vertical curves. The crown might have looked better if it were a series of setbacks rising up to the pyramid, and the pyramid had a small spire instead of the cube on top...

[SteelCity32]

It's interesting...I like it

7/10

[Insomniac]

I like the use of glass......it's not a completely original design and like RafflesCity said, it's not the tallest building around, but it's just so damn pretty I think I'll give it a:

7.5/10.

[New Jack City]

7/10..I don't like the colors and the top. It looks like stairs leading up to the roof at the top. Too much detail on the windows also.

[AppetjoekII]

Nice! 8/10

[The Messiah]

Yeah very nice.I really like the elegant way of this tower.
8.5/10

Stunning complex. Can honestly say Top 5 in the world. 10/10

10 This building is simply perfect.