King Street Center
A modern government building harmonizes with its historic neighborhood thanks to artist-made features.
The streets of Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood are lined with brick and stone buildings that date back to the late 19th century, after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 burned nearly all of the wooden structures settlers had constructed since their arrival in the early 1850s. Featuring architectural details of the era’s Romanesque Revival, these enduring buildings include many handmade and decorative finishes created by artisans.
King Street Center, an eight-story office building developed as a partnership between King County and Wright Runstad & Company, was designed to harmonize with the architectural styles around it, preserving the aesthetics of the area. It continues the historical tradition of incorporating work by contemporary artists, taking a collaborative approach to the design of its outdoor plaza with artist Jack Mackie and using artist-made integrated building components, such as Maya Radoczy’s cast glass lobby lighting. The building also showcases impressive iron entry gates by Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle.
