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 engi
