United Shopping Tower

The United Shopping Tower is a 12-story Art Deco high-rise in downtown Seattle at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Pine Street. Its facade combines concrete and terra cotta with large continuous windows, which were typical of the style in that era.

The building was designed between 1928 and 1931 by architect Henry W. Bittman and originally planned as a vertical shopping center. When the Great Depression arrived, it converted to office use and maintained that function for decades.

The tower shows how retail spaces were stacked vertically in the early 1900s to fit more shops in one location. This approach shaped how business owners and shoppers engaged in city centers at that time.

The building sits on a visible corner in downtown Seattle and is easy to reach on foot. The ground floor holds retail spaces while the upper floors contain offices and residential units.

The tower carried different names throughout its history, including Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building and Olympic Savings Tower Condominium. Each name change reflected shifts in how the building was used and what the city needed.

Location: Washington

Architectural style: Art Deco

GPS coordinates: 47.61060,-122.33700

Latest update: December 9, 2025 12:26