Rainier Tower’s narrow pedestal - unique urban architecture

Rainier Tower, designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki and completed in 1977, is characterized by a dramatic poured-concrete pedestal that slopes inward to a narrow base, visually elevating the office tower above street level. The unusual inverted-pedestal design was an intentional architectural solution to preserve plaza space at the building’s base and remains a distinctive feature in downtown Seattle’s skyline. The tower is frequently cited in discussions of innovative late-20th-century commercial architecture in the city.