Russell Investments Center vs F5 Tower

Comparing the Russell Investments Center and the F5 Tower is interesting because they both rise in Seattle, WA, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, NBBJ and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than a decade apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Seattle across time.

Let's take a closer look!

The F5 Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 656ft (200m) with 44 floors above ground, while the Russell Investments Center reaches 597ft (182m) with 42 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Both the Russell Investments Center and the F5 Tower were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Contemporary style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both NBBJ and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

The F5 Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining commercial and hotel. In contrast, the Russell Investments Center has remained primarily commercial.

The F5 Tower incorporates a 5-star hotel with 189 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with Russell Investments Center offering 711 spaces and the F5 Tower offering 291.

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The Russell Investments Center uses a Framed Tube In Tube structural system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the F5 Tower uses a Trussed Tube In Tube system, that combines a central core with a perimeter tube reinforced by diagonal bracing.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.