Contemplate for a moment the grandeur of the Skinner Building. It stands here at 1326 5th Avenue in Seattle. This eight-story structure includes the historic 5th Avenue Theatre. It is a landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This honor recognizes the architecture of both the theater and the building itself.
The Skinner Building’s exterior features an unadorned sandstone facade. It also has a false loggia and a red mission tile roof. The design reflects an Italian Renaissance Revival style. This style was envisioned by Robert Reamer’s architecture firm.
Completed in 1926 the Skinner Building was commissioned around 1925. The Metropolitan Building Company hired Reamer to design it. This happened after the Olympic Hotel rejected his firm’s designs. The Metropolitan then hired him as a house architect. The Skinner Building became his first major success. He successfully transposed the Italian Renaissance style. He made it work in a city office block.
David E. Skinner the industrialist is who the building is named after. The Skinner Building presents a restrained Italian Renaissance Revival design. It is an E-shaped mixed-use building. The upper floors house offices. The ground floor and basement offer retail spaces. You can find the theater entrance and box office at 1308 Fifth Avenue.
At 1326 Fifth Avenue you’ll find the main entrance. A plaque dedicates the Skinner Chimes. They honor David E. “Ned” Skinner II. These chimes can be heard daily at noon. They echo through downtown Seattle. Interestingly these are not traditional chimes but an electronic carillon.
The Skinner Building displays excellent cut-stonework. This is visible on three street front facades. Quality metal detailing enhances exterior show windows and shop entrances. You can also see it in the lobby. Interior details include rinceau friezes above elevator doors. There are decorative newel posts on the staircase. Red mission tile adorns the hipped parapets. Handsome consoles support the projecting cornices of the seventh story. The Skinner Building plays a strong role in the sophisticated qualities of Fifth Avenue. It creates an excellent street wall. Its unity stretches block long.
Inside the 5th Avenue Theatre was one of the most lavish theaters on the West Coast. The automated chimes sit at the top of the building. Douglas fir makes up the sash and frames. An underground pedestrian passage connects the Skinner Building. It links to the Hilton Seattle and the Washington Athletic Club.
Sandstone for the Skinner Building was quarried near Mount Rainier. The Skinner Building appeared in the February 28 1927 issue of Buildings and Building Management.
The Skinner Building stands dedicated. It is dedicated to the commerce and trade of two great continents.
The Skinner Building once housed radio stations KOMO and KJR. These were both NBC affiliates owned by Fisher Companies.
The Skinner Building received an $11 million seismic upgrade. It is also LEED-EB certified since 2010. Unico Properties has managed the property since at least 1997.
Tenants of the Skinner Building have included the Alaska Pacific Salmon Company. Also Bristol Bay Packing Company and I. Magnin. Architects Paul Thiry John I. Mattson and Leonard W. Bindon have also tenanted here. The National Canners Association and the Seattle Milk Dealers’ Association once had offices here.
The Region VII headquarters of the Federal Public Housing Authority was here in the 1940s. The John Doyle Bishop Salon operated on the fourth floor from 1976 to 1980. Eddie Bauer was a tenant as of 1997. Marketing firm Pop signed an eleven-year lease for the top floor in 2008. Brooks Brothers opened a store here around 2005.
The Skinner Building offers unique floor plates. Operable windows frame stunning views of downtown. The marble-detailed lobby features glass entry doors. Brass elevator doors add to the charm. The Skinner Building blends classic details with modern convenience. It stands as a testament to Seattle’s architectural heritage.