Seattle’s King Street Station: More Than a Train Platform

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit a clock tower that’s risen over a city skyline for more than a century.

The King Street Station hosts commuter train traffic in and out of Seattle. The ground floor of King Street Station is made of granite, while walls of the second and third floors, as well as the clock tower, are faced in pressed brick. Cornices, window lintels, and dental moldings are evident as design elements. Courtesy of photographer Benjamin Benschneider

The public use of many historically significant American structures has changed over time. The King Street Station in Seattle, built in 1906, is still used as a boarding platform for train traffic but has been adapted to include more than just a transportation hub for the city. The first floor is still owned and operated by Amtrak and the Seattle Department of Transportation and retains its original grandeur, but additional floors have been added to offer space for retail establishments, offices, and arts venues.

The brick and granite three-story building with its signature 12-story clock tower was designed by the architectural firm of Reed & Stem, which also designed New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. King Street Station’s exterior is an eclectic mix of styles that became known in the early 20th century as “Railroad Italianate.” Prominent are elements of beaux arts, neoclassical, and Italian renaissance.

Renovated in the early 2000s, King Street Station continues to be a hub of activity as more than 7,000 passengers board trains daily; many travelers make connections at King Street Station onto a commuter rail, local and regional buses, and even streetcars.

Elevated a little higher than the top of a roller coaster, the 242-foot-tall, campanile-style clock tower (a tower attached to a church) is modeled after the Piazza San Marco bell tower in Venice, Italy. The brickwork is set off by one level that includes classical Corinthian columns. The 14-foot-wide faces of the clock were crafted by a mid-19th-century Boston company: E. Howard & Co., which also created the clocks for San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Chicago’s Wrigley Building.  Felix Mizioznikov/Shutterstock

King Street Station’s clock tower was the largest structure in Seattle when it was built in 1906. Though the inside of the tower is not accessible by the public, an interior spiral staircase leads behind the clock faces and to the clock tower’s pyramid, where a door opens out to an observation deck. The 14-foot-wide clock faces by E. Howard & Co. are actual timepieces made up of gears and rods. Courtesy of photographer Benjamin Benschneider

Fluted columns, decorative moldings, and a medallion from which a simple brass-fitted globe light hangs greet visitors and customers in the ticket hall. This hall’s design shows the glittering influence of the Gilded Age (late 1800s to early 1900s), with marble column bases accentuated by a gilded band and polished brass doors that lead to the Amtrak ticket desk. Courtesy of photographer Benjamin Benschneider

Symmetry and sumptuousness define King Street Station’s waiting area. The highly ornamental plaster ceilings and inset fluted Corinthian columns draw up the eye, as do the bronze globe chandelier and wall sconces. The terrazzo floor has inlaid square mosaic tiles. Contrasting the opulence are the simple, round porthole windows flanking the large clock. Black-and-white historic photographs are featured where the ceiling and wall meet. Courtesy of photographer Benjamin Benschneider

This view of King Street Station’s waiting area is a Gilded Age-era feast for the eyes, with its intricately molded coffered ceilings, second-floor gallery and balcony, and elaborate white marble and fluted Corinthian columns. Brass and globe lighting fixtures hang from ornately molded ceiling medallions. The simpler geometric design of the inlaid floor balances the overall lavish setting. Courtesy of photographer Benjamin Benschneider

The arched ceiling of the main entrance displays lights and skylights to softly light the open seating area. Inlaid arches decorate the lower part of the ceiling as wall sconces light the side walkways. Green marble railings anchor the room under beige walls. CineCam/Shutterstock

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