Westin Building, Office skyscraper in Downtown Seattle, US
The Westin Building is a tall office skyscraper in downtown Seattle whose facade is a tight grid of vertical light-grey metal fins running the full height, with dark blue-grey glass panels set between them in stacked horizontal rows. The building was constructed in 1981 and now serves as a major telecommunications hub.
The building was completed in 1981 and initially served as headquarters for Westin Hotels with several floors dedicated to their operations. Since its opening, it has remained a defining part of Seattle's downtown skyline.
The building's name comes from Westin Hotels, which had its headquarters here after the 1981 opening. Today it hosts the Seattle Internet Exchange and the Pacific Wave Exchange, and carriers keep equipment racks throughout the tower linked by fiber to the 19th-floor meet-me rooms.
The Westin Building Exchange is a working telecommunications facility at 2001 Sixth Avenue in downtown Seattle, not a sightseeing stop, so access is generally limited to carriers, tenants and their guests. The 19th-floor meet-me rooms and the carrier racks are operational space rather than public areas. Visitors with business there should arrange entry in advance with the relevant company.
The tower employs a clever energy-sharing system where waste heat from its data centers is redirected to nearby buildings for productive use. This practice demonstrates how the structure participates in downtown Seattle's interconnected infrastructure system.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,950 contributors worldwide.
