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apollonaut. Built by People Who've Been

Journal / History

Architecture, the city & views

Seattle’s tallest tower.
A view from the 73rd floor.

The story of Columbia Center, from a tower limited by the flight paths of Sea-Tac to the observatory near its top.

Columbia Center, the dark tower on the right, rising above the downtown Seattle skyline, with the snows of Mount Rainier behind
Columbia Center above the downtown skyline.

A tower for downtown Seattle

Columbia Center was developed by Martin Selig and designed by Chester L. Lindsey Architects. Work began in 1982, and the tower was completed in 1985. It first took the name Columbia Seafirst Center, after Seafirst Bank, its largest tenant.

The steel frame of Columbia Center under construction in December 1983, with cranes on top
The dark glass of Columbia Center beside the paler F5 Tower, seen from below against a blue sky

Height, and its limits

An earlier design would have risen to about 1,006 feet, but federal aviation rules near Seattle–Tacoma International Airport did not allow that height. The tower was built with 76 storeys and an architectural height of 933 feet, and it has been the tallest building in Seattle and in Washington state since 1985.

The observatory on the 73rd floor

The observatory occupies the 73rd floor, 902 feet above the city. It was remodelled in 2013 into a 360-degree viewing area and renovated again in 2018, with two express elevators and a new lounge. The building has been called Columbia Center since November 2005.

Downtown towers, the water and the hills of north Seattle seen from Sky View Observatory under a clear sky

Continue exploring

The steel frame of Columbia Center under construction in December 1983, with cranes on topSeattle’s tallest buildingFrom 1982 to the 73rd floor.Downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay and the Space Needle seen from Sky View Observatory, with the Olympic Mountains beyondWhat to see from the topMountains, water and the city.Plan your visit

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