Washington Athletic Club, Private athletic club in Downtown Seattle, United States.
The Washington Athletic Club is a 21-story building in downtown Seattle, situated at the corner of 6th Avenue and Union Street. It houses fitness and recreational facilities, including a swimming pool, basketball courts, a running track, and handball courts, alongside a hotel on its upper floors.
The building was completed in 1930, at the start of the Great Depression, and its construction reflected a confidence in Seattle's future at a time when major projects were rare. The Art Deco style chosen for the design was fashionable in that era and can still be seen clearly in the ornamental details of the facade.
The Washington Athletic Club has long served as a gathering point for sports enthusiasts in downtown Seattle, bringing together members who share an interest in fitness and competition. The Art Deco facade, visible from the street, gives the building a distinctive character that stands out among the surrounding office towers.
The building sits in the heart of downtown Seattle and is easy to reach on foot from most central hotels and attractions. Since it operates as a private membership club, access to the sports facilities is generally restricted, so it is worth checking in advance which areas are open to non-members or hotel guests.
Although the building is best known as an athletic club, it has contained a hotel on its upper floors since it opened in 1930, allowing overnight guests to use the sports facilities directly below them. This combination of lodging and athletics under one roof was an unusual arrangement for a downtown building when it first opened.
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