IBM Building

The IBM Building is an office structure in downtown Seattle located on Fifth Avenue that rises prominently over its surroundings. Its interior features slender steel columns that allow for open floor plans, while distinctive vertical fins cap the crown of the structure.

Built between 1963 and 1964, it replaced the Seattle Ice Arena that had operated since 1915 on the same location. Architect Minoru Yamasaki designed the structure using construction techniques he would later refine for the World Trade Center.

The building takes its name from IBM, the technology company that long occupied it as a major tenant. Its vertical fins along the exterior became part of Seattle's downtown identity and reflect how corporate structures were designed during that era.

The structure sits in a central location within the business district and is easy to access on foot while walking along Fifth Avenue. Since it functions as an office building, its exterior is visible from street level, and visitors can typically explore the public areas surrounding it.

The building was among the first projects where Minoru Yamasaki used steel-pipe columns to create large open office spaces, a concept that would transform tall building design. These innovative column structures were later implemented at a much larger scale in his most famous work, the World Trade Center in New York.

Location: Washington

Inception: 1964

Architects: Minoru Yamasaki

Floors above the ground: 20

GPS coordinates: 47.60840,-122.33300

Latest update: December 14, 2025 21:14