Rainier Tower, Modernist skyscraper in downtown Seattle, United States
Rainier Tower is a modernist skyscraper with 31 floors that rises from a distinctive tapered base that narrows toward the ground. The inverted pyramid foundation allows the building to occupy less ground space while maintaining significant office area above.
Architect Minoru Yamasaki completed this tower in 1977 for Rainier Bank, drawing on design principles he developed while creating the World Trade Center in New York. Its construction marked a shift in how Seattle approached downtown development and urban architecture.
The structure earned the nickname 'Beaver Building' from Seattle residents who noticed its narrow base resembled a tree trunk shaped by a beaver.
The tower sits on Fifth Avenue in downtown Seattle and is easily accessible by public transit with multiple bus stops nearby. The building connects to underground retail areas and offers public spaces to view the architecture from street level or elevated areas.
The inverted pyramid shape was a rare architectural innovation when completed, designed to maximize usable space on a constrained city lot. This unusual geometry demonstrates how architects solved practical limitations through creative structural design rather than conventional approaches.
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