Rainier Tower balances on a narrow, fifteen-story concrete pedestal that flares outward like an inverted pyramid. Designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the architect who later created the original World Trade Center, the structure forces pedestrians to walk directly beneath the weight of the massive tower. Engineers insisted on this pedestal design to satisfy a specific zoning requirement regarding open public space at street level. It remains a striking silhouette, hovering above the sidewalk with an apparent defiance of gravity that still unsettles many passersby.
Rainier Tower
other
The audio tour continues in the Mira app →