The Times & The Square

The (Seattle) Times Square Building is a gorgeous five story flatiron at 414 Olive Way. The older portion of the image shows its construction in 1916. Blending that with the present day creates what seems like a cutaway view of the steel skeleton within. The building was the brainchild of Seattle Times editor-in-chief Alden J. Blethen (1845-1915) who wanted a landmark that would cement his newspaper's standing in the city. Blethen didn't live to see his vision become a reality but calling the adjacent plaza "Times Square," like the more famous version in New York would certainly have appealed to his sense of status.

The building was designed by the Seattle architectural firm of Bebb & Gould. Charles Bebb (1862-1942) came to the U.S. from Britain in 1885. He joined the iconic Chicago firm of Adler & Sullivan in 1888 where he worked with a promising young draftsman named Frank Lloyd Wright on projects that helped pioneer the modern skyscraper. Bebb's engineering and fabrication skills brought him to Seattle and the Denny Clay Company in 1893. He gravitated back to architecture in 1898, opening his own company.

But it was partnerships that brought Bebb his greatest success. He teamed up with designer Louis L. Mendel in 1901. Their work resulted in a long list of hotels, office buildings and industrial facilities throughout Seattle, including the Hoge Building at 705 2nd Avenue. Starting in 1914, Bebb's collaboration with artist/designer Carl Gould (1873-1939) produced some of Seattle's best known landmarks, including the plan for the University of Washington campus, the Suzzalo Library and the original Seattle Art Museum (now the Seattle Asian Art Museum). Gould himself founded the School of Architecture at the University of Washington, serving as its first chair. The Times Square Building reflects Gould's education at Beaux-Arts de Paris. Charles Bebb mostly handled the practical logistics but I can't help but think he had some influence on the building's terracotta ornamentation - another Adler & Sullivan hallmark. Construction was contracted to the A.W. Quist Company for a total of $225,985 (around 7 million in 2023 dollars).

The Seattle Times was headquartered in the building until 1931. The namesake square on the 5th Avenue side frequently served as a place for public gatherings and political speeches. The space saw recruitment drives, bond rallies and a makeshift obelisk commemorating Seattle's casualties during World War II and protests during the war in Vietnam. Chunks of the "square" gave way to new construction over the years. The monorail track added in 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition further reduced the connection between the square and the building. The Times Square Building itself still seems to be going strong, housing a mix of office and retail tenants.