UW Tower

{{Short description|Office Skyscraper}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox building

| name = UW Tower

| image = Seattle - UW Tower 01.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = UW Tower pictured in 2010

| alternate_names = Safeco Plaza
Safeco Building

| location = 4333 Brooklyn Avenue NE
Seattle, Washington, U.S.

| coordinates = {{coord|47.660755|-122.314673|region:US-WA|display=inline,title}}

| completion_date = 1975

| building_type = Commercial offices

| antenna_spire =

| roof = {{convert|99|m|abbr=on}}

| top_floor =

| floor_count = 22

| elevator_count =

| cost =

| floor_area =

| architect = Robert Sowder

| architecture_firm = NBBJ

| structural_engineer=

| main_contractor =

| developer =

| owner = University of Washington

| management =

| references = {{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/119384 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306205013/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/119384 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |title=Emporis building ID 119384 |work=Emporis}}

}}

The UW Tower is a high-rise office building complex located in the University District of Seattle, Washington, United States. It was completed in 1975 and serves as the head offices of the University of Washington. The 22-story tower was designed by NBBJ. It reaches a height of {{convert|99|m|abbr=on}}, making it Seattle's tallest building outside the Downtown area.

The tower was originally constructed as Safeco Plaza to serve as Safeco Insurance's headquarters. It was generally referred to as the Safeco Building. Safeco sold the property to the University of Washington in 2006 for $130 million,{{cite news|last=Allison|first=Melissa|title=UW acquires Safeco tower for $130 million|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2003233276_safeco29m.html|access-date=4 November 2012|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=August 29, 2006}} and moved out one year later.

The purchase from Safeco included Safeco Tower, three adjacent buildings, a residential building with 29 units, two parking garages and two surface parking lots. Presently the university properties consist of the UW Tower itself, Buildings A, C, O, and S, the Collegiana building, two garages, and two surface lots.{{cite map |date=May 30, 2019 |title=University of Washington Campus |url=https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/uw-s3-cdn/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/09/09134305/uw-campus-printable-0919.pdf |publisher=University of Washington |accessdate=September 2, 2021}}

Architecture

The tower and surrounding complex were designed by Robert Sowder of Naramore, Bain, Brady and Johanson, a Seattle-based architecture firm. Its exterior uses a mix of precast concrete and terracotta elements in "earth tones" to match other buildings in the area. The tower sits on a series of octagonal columns that rise from the street-level plaza, which sits under part of the structure.{{cite news |last1=Hurtt |first1=Steven |last2=Highfield |first2=Will |date=September 9, 1973 |title=The Double Power of a Tower |pages=10–11 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}

Tenants

Although much of the building is used for administrative purposes, various schools and departments at the University of Washington, especially the medical sciences, have offices in the UW Tower. These include UW Information Technology (UW-IT), the UW Payroll Office, University Advancement and Professional and Continuing Education.{{cite web|title=UW Tower Building Directory|url=http://www.washington.edu/facilities/uwtower/building-directory|website=washington.edu|access-date=April 16, 2017|language=en}}

Gallery

File:Mt. Baker and UW Tower.jpg|UW Tower with Mount Baker in the background

File:UW Tower.jpg|UW Tower in 2009

File:Seattle - Hotel Deca & UW Tower.jpg|Hotel Deca (left) and UW Tower (right)

File:Hawaiian Chieftain on Lake Union 01.jpg|UW Tower pictured from Lake Union

References

{{Reflist}}