Federal Reserve Bank Building, Bank building in downtown Seattle, United States.
The Federal Reserve Bank Building is a banking facility in downtown Seattle distinguished by its light gray Indiana limestone facade with dark reddish granite cladding at the base level. A setback in the facade creates an open plaza at street level that shapes how the building meets the urban environment.
The building opened as a Federal Reserve facility in 1951 and remained operational until 2008, serving as the regional banking center for the Pacific Northwest and adjacent territories. It played a key role in managing financial institutions across four states during this period.
The building exemplifies post-war banking design with its clean, functional form that conveys efficiency and order. The restrained material palette and precise detailing reflect how this institution aimed to communicate stability and trustworthiness through architecture.
The building sits on Second Avenue in downtown Seattle, within easy walking distance of the waterfront and ferry terminals. Its location on a main street makes it straightforward to locate and accessible from various parts of the city center.
The structure was engineered with special safety features designed to protect against nuclear blast impacts and major earthquakes. This reflected Cold War-era thinking about what level of protection financial institutions needed to ensure continuity of operations.
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