Olympic Tower, Seattle

To see a classic example of Art Deco architecture reflecting the luxury and glamour of roughly a century ago, head to this 12-story edifice listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building consists of a ten-story reinforced concrete and terra cotta tower set back from 3rd Avenue but flush with Pine Street, on top of a three-story (originally two-story) base. Large windows make a large part of the facade bringing natural light into almost every interior space. It was reported at the time of construction that the tower had more glass in proportion to its size than any other building in Seattle.

An early incarnation of the indoor shopping center and the only of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, the structure's original purpose was to house retail tenants, one per floor with a tea room on the tenth floor. Also in the original plans, grass was to be planted on the roof of the second floor for a putting green owned by a sporting goods store on the third floor (the base of the tower). By the end of 1932, the retail concept proved to be a failure and the building was converted into offices for the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. It later housed the headquarters for the Olympic Savings Bank, after whose closure in 1994 was sold to private investors and converted into office space. It became a City of Seattle Landmark on May 18, 1987.