Tall & Urban News

New Skyscraper in Seattle Set to Receive High-Tech Tenants

The tower relies on pillars lifting the office portion 85 feet (26 meters) feet off the ground, leaving room for an “urban village” underneath, with retail, restaurants and gathering spaces.
The tower relies on pillars lifting the office portion 85 feet (26 meters) feet off the ground, leaving room for an “urban village” underneath, with retail, restaurants and gathering spaces.
26 September 2019 | Seattle, United States

Tech company Qualtrics, which two years ago designated Seattle as its co-headquarters, doubled down Wednesday, 26 September 2019, with the announcement of a huge new lease in an under-construction skyscraper in the city. The deal sets the stage for the experience-management company to quadruple its workforce to more than 2,000 people in the region in the years ahead.

The office portion of the 2+U project will be known as Qualtrics Tower in recognition of the deal. Ryan Smith, the CEO and co-founder of Qualtrics, said in an interview that it’s meant to be “a big statement” about the company’s plans for the Seattle region.

Qualtrics has leased 275,000 square feet (26,000 square meters) across 13 stories in the tower, which is being developed and built by Skanska at Second Avenue and University Street. The company is slated to move into the new building next year.

The customer-experience management company first set down roots in Seattle four years ago and has been growing rapidly ever since. The company grew so fast in Seattle that in 2017 it designated the office as its co-headquarters.

Qualtrics outgrew a space near CenturyLink Field, which today is home to approximately 500 people. Qualtrics Tower will also be home to job search engine Indeed, Dropbox, and co-working company Spaces. The uniquely-designed tower relies on pillars lifting the office portion 85 feet (26 meters) feet off the ground, leaving room for an “urban village” underneath, with retail, restaurants and gathering spaces.

For more on this story, go to GeekWire.