The city of Spokane, located in the east of the U.S. state of Washington, is the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region of the United States, where it serves as a hub for retail trade and services.[1] As of January 2022[update], Spokane has 40 high-rise buildings.[2] High-rise development began in 1891, shortly after the Great Spokane Fire of 1889, with the completion of the 146-foot (45 m) Review Building featuring a traditional brick-and-stone construction.[3]
In the late 19th century, the term skyscraper was typically used to describe buildings of a relatively modest 10 to 20 stories in height that were built on a ground level of thick masonry walls, as opposed to the contemporary usage of the term which is often used to describe more modern high-rise buildings in excess of 40 or 50 stories that were made possible with the incorporation of a metal framework.[4] After the advent of steel-frame construction, allowing for increased strength to support more floors, the construction of skyscrapers locally began increasing in the early 20th century.[3]
The U.S. Bank Building (built 1910) and the Paulsen Medical and Dental Building (built 1929) were among the earliest skyscrapers in Spokane and both held the title of tallest building in the city, respectively.[3] The U.S. Bank Building was also the tallest building in the state of Washington upon its completion.[5][6] The current tallest building in Spokane, surpassing the Paulsen Medical and Dental Building, is the 288-foot-tall (88 m) Bank of America Financial Center, which was completed in 1981 and has held the distinction for 43 years.[3] Taller buildings have since been proposed but not constructed.[7]
Spokane has 24 high rises that stand at least 145 feet (44 m) tall based on standard height measurement. This height includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts.[a] Spokane's first high-rise, the Review Building was the tallest building in Spokane upon completion in 1891 and held the title for roughly 10 years.[8] The U.S. Bank Building was the tallest building in the city from 1910 until 1929 when it was surpassed in height by the Paulsen Medical and Dental Building, which lasted as the tallest from 1929 until 1981 when the current tallest building, the Bank of America Financial Center was completed.[3][9]
The subject of skyscrapers in Spokane entered popular culture in an episode of How I Met Your Mother when a proposed building became a topic of discussion, where main character, Ted Mosby, an architect, was tasked by his boss with designing a 78-story skyscraper for a client in downtown Spokane.[45] When revealed to the client later in the episode, the building was ridiculed for its phallic shape and the design was rejected.[46]
^If two or more buildings are of the same height, they are listed in order of floor count, then alphabetically. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
^The Bank of America Financial Center was officially topped out on December 12, 1980.[10]
^Tallest building in the city and state upon completion in 1910[6]
^Reeves, Ian. "Review Tower". Eastern Washington University. Spokane Historical. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
^ abcdefghFreibott, Kevin (March 2018). "Comparison of Floor Plate Sizes"(PDF). Planning and Development Services Department. City of Spokane. Archived(PDF) from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
^ ab"Review Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Review Building". SkyscraperPage. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
^Turner, Paul (April 24, 2016). "That downtown skyscraper". The Spokesman-Review. Cowles Company. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
