Norton Building

A Tower Built for a Sloping Street

Like so much of hilly downtown Seattle, the Norton Building stands on a sloping lot. A substantial granite base anchors the tower to the grade, and from there it rises 17 stories.

The upper floors take in wide views across the city and out toward Puget Sound. For decades, those views were a selling point for the tenants who leased space high in the building.

Modernism Meets Art Deco Next Door

Make a point of pausing at this corner, where the Norton Building sits beside the Exchange Building. The Exchange Building is an Art Deco landmark, while the Norton Building represents the postwar modernism that followed it. Stand between the two and you can see how sharply architectural taste shifted in Seattle over just a few decades.

The Haller Building That Came Before

Before the modern tower, this site belonged to the Haller Building, an earlier landmark of downtown life that went up in 1889. It stood until it was demolished in 1957, construction of the new tower followed, and the Norton Building opened two years later.

Famous Tenants and the Harbor Club

Over the years, a range of well-known Seattle businesses have called the Norton Building home. Past tenants include:

• LMN Architects
• The Puget Sound Business Journal
• Pacific Northern Airlines

Up on the 17th floor, the Harbor Club once welcomed its members as a private club open to no one else. At its height in the 1990s it counted about 1,000 members, and it closed for good on December 31, 2015.

Landmark Status at a Glance

The Seattle City Council named the Norton Building a city landmark in 2009. The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board records the designation as landmark number 308, under ordinance number 122947. To keep exploring protected sites, browse our guide to all landmarks in Seattle.

Visiting the Norton Building

Since the Norton Building is a working office building, plan to enjoy it from the sidewalk along 2nd Avenue, the way most visitors do. Cross the road for the clearest look at the granite base and the way the tower meets the sloping street. For current details on access, check with the building directly.

Landmarks Within a Short Walk

Stroll this stretch of downtown and you will find an unusual number of designated landmarks packed into a few blocks, all within about a tenth of a mile of the Norton Building. A short walk can take in:

• The Exchange Building
• Puget Sound Bank (Bank of California)
• Seattle National Bank (United Way Building)
• The Colman Building
• The Hoge Building
• The Dexter Horton Building
• The Chamber of Commerce Building
• The Hong Kong/Shanghai Banking Co. street clock

Together they span decades of Seattle's commercial architecture, which makes the Norton Building's postwar design stand out all the more. Head into the surrounding streets with our Central Business District neighborhood guide.