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Russell Investments Center
General information
Location	1301 Second Ave., Seattle, Washington
Coordinates	47°36′26″N 122°20′14″W / 47.607311°N 122.337109°W / 47.607311; -122.337109Coordinates: 47°36′26″N 122°20′14″W / 47.607311°N 122.337109°W / 47.607311; -122.337109
Status	Complete
Constructed	2006
Use	Office + Art museum
Height
Roof	182 meters (598 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	42
Cost	$370M
Companies involved
Architect(s)	NBBJ
Structural engineer	Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Contractor	Sellen Construction
Developer	Pine Street Group LLC
Owner	Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

The 17th floor garden roof as seen from the 43rd floor roof.

Russell Investments Center is a skyscraper in Seattle, Washington. On its completion, it was the largest skyscraper to mark Downtown Seattle's skyline in nearly 15 years, and is the city's 6th tallest building, at 182 meters (598 ft), with 42 floors. It was originally named WaMu Center because it was built to become Washington Mutual's new headquarters, and because "WaMu" was Washington Mutual's official nickname. Major construction ended in early 2006, with minor construction continuing into the fall. Tenants from Washington Mutual (WaMu) began to move in to the tower in March 2006. On September 25, 2008, Washington Mutual failed, and its assets and accounts were sold to JPMorgan Chase by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. On June 1, 2009, the building was renamed Chase Center.^[1] On September 9, 2009, the building was purchased by Northwestern Mutual of Milwaukee. Russell Investments, a Northwestern Mutual subsidiary, will make the building its corporate headquarters upon relocation from Tacoma, WA, and is renaming the building the Russell Investments Center^[2]. The architect for the tower is NBBJ, which also designed nearby Two Union Square and other notable buildings in the downtown area of Seattle. Sellen Construction was the general contractor for the project. The tower is located at 1301 2nd Avenue, on the opposite corner from Washington Mutual Tower.

WaMu Center was built to stand as Washington Mutual's headquarters, and to move most of its many Seattle area workers into one tower, to streamline operations, and to encourage worker interaction, with a 'reinvention' of the work place. There is also a private 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) rooftop patio on the west half of the 17th floor for workers of the tower to take walks along the several walking paths.

The tower includes the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) on the first 4 floors of the west half of the building, and connects to the museum's existing building on the southern portion of the block. WaMu and SAM made an agreement where the museum may expand in 2-floor increments up to the 12th floor over the next 20 years as needed.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Hello and goodbye: WaMu officially becomes Chase on June 1". http://www.seattlepi.com/business/406579_wamu27.html. Retrieved 2009-06-01.  
2. ^ Tibbits, George (9 September 2009). "Russell Investments moving to Seattle". Seattle Times. Associated Press. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009833135_apwarussellinvestments5thldwritethru.html. Retrieved 21 September 2009.  
3. ^ "CONSTRUCTOR magazine website". http://www.constructor.construction.com/features/build/archives/2005-11seattle.asp. Retrieved 2007-01-18.  

External links

• Emporis.com's site on this building
• "Where Cash Meets Culture" By Sheila Bacon