United Shopping Tower
historic place
The United Shopping Tower, located in King County, Seattle, Washington, is a historic twelve-story building. It was originally built in 1929, with construction largely completed by late August of that year. Designed by architect Henry Bittman, the tower was an early example of an indoor shopping center in the Pacific Northwest. Its original purpose was to house specialty retail tenants on each floor, with plans for a tea room on the tenth floor and even a putting green on the roof of the second floor. The building featured a reinforced concrete and terra cotta exterior, notable for its extensive use of glass. However, the vertical retail concept proved challenging, especially with the onset of the Great Depression. By 1932, the building was converted into offices for the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. It later became the Olympic Savings Tower in the early 1980s. The United Shopping Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a City of Seattle Landmark in 1987. This structure illustrates an early attempt at a multi-story retail model and its subsequent adaptation to changing economic conditions.