Seattle, WA

The Smith Tower, the oldest skyscraper in Seattle, is an oddity in itself: the white terra-cotta skyscraper rises 522 feet into the Seattle skyline and was built in 1914 becoming the tallest building West of the Mississippi for over 50 years.

Interestingly this skyscraper is topped with a pyramid-shaped gothic cap that makes up the final three stories.

For the first 80 years of the Smith Tower’s life, this cap served mainly as a visually appealing cover for a 10,000-gallon cast-iron water tank that sat underneath, as well as a cramped caretakers apartment.

Then, in 1999, the building changed ownership, and the new owners began a massive renovation of the tower. This renovation involved carefully cutting up the water tank and extracting it via the elevator shafts, to make room for an incredible pyramid-shaped penthouse.

A Seattle insider, flush with money from the recent dot-com boom, quickly snatched up the unparalleled space and signed a lease for an unspecified amount of time and money. Well-known architectural firm Castanes was tapped to help create a modest living space for a single woman in the pyramid loft only to have that swiftly evolve into a family of four. As of 2022, a new tenant has moved in under a 3 year lease with options to extend.

The redesign kept the penthouse as two floors and a catwalk. There are three stories of open space above the living room, which was partially filled with a beautiful Chihuly chandelier. The resident made sure to leave the myriad of catwalks and metal stairs that loop upward along the pyramid’s inner walls which used to be used to maintain the water tank. The maze of ladders and catwalks lead upward through the treacherously steep interior to the pièce de résistance, an eight-foot-diameter glass ball that sits on the top of the pyramid. One can only imagine the expansive views from this perch.

The private residence is not open to the public, making the 35th floor observation deck the closest most people (myself included) will get to what is known as the highest priced rental in Seattle at more than $14,000 per month. While this gallery will currently have to do with photos of the penthouse's unique exterior, I don't give up hope of somehow someday getting inside with my camera. Keep your fingers crossed.