KING STREET STATION (1906)
The architects : Charles Reed and Allen Stem, known for Grand Central Station in New York
Building: This station has a 75-meter clock tower inspired by the bell tower of Venice, in Piazza San Marco in Italy. A renovation completed in 2014 uncovered ornate ceilings, wainscoting and mosaic tiles hidden after an ill-fated 1960s redesign. 303 S Jackson St; seattle.gov
THE SKINNER BUILDING (1926)
The architect: Robert Reamer, known for hotels in Yellowstone National Park and art deco buildings in Seattle
Building: Harry C. Arthur and Pacific Theatres, the largest theater operator on the West Coast during the construction of this building, commissioned Reamer to create the 5th Avenue Theater, a large Chinese-themed performance space lined with reliefs of dragons and flowers inside. *1308 Fifth Avenue; 5thavenue.org
SEATTLE CENTRAL LIBRARY (2004)
The architect: Rem Koolhaas, known for his glazed, modern buildings that play with perspective
Building: The Downtown Library is a collage of window-lined cathedral ceilings, open workspaces, hidden nooks and creative hallways, including the Book Spiral, which stacks over three floors of non-fiction books along a winding, shallow ramp. *1000 Fourth Avenue; spl.org
MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (2000)
formerly Experience Music Project
The architect: Frank Gehry, known for his crazy forms with deep internal logic, including the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Building: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen spearheaded this development, driven by his super fandom of Seattle-born guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Gehry immersed himself in Hendrix’s music and used cut-out electric guitars as inspiration for his design. *325 Fifth Avenue N; mopop.org