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Overview

Like many of Thiry's works, this office building had a blend of architectural features derived from contemporary Modern design as well as traditional Japanese architecture. Originally, the office building possessed a walled entry court on its east side, reflective of Thiry's interest in Japanese precedents. The building underwent two major alterations between 1946 and 2012, including the demolition of the original east side entry courtyard.

Building History

The accomplished Seattle Modern architect Paul Thiry, Sr., (1904-1993) designed his own, butterfly-roofed office building completed in 1946.

Building Notes

Asbestos boards clad the exterior walls and roof. with aluminum window and door casings.

Alteration

In its early years, the first-floor underneath the upper office and drafting rooms was open and afforded parking for automobiles. By 1953, this had been filled in to create potential rented retail space.

The orignal eastern entry court/garden was replaced by a fully-enclosed addition that utilized cinderblock walls. Its construction created a building with a shallowly-pitched butterfly roof. In 2011, Biomedical Illustrations, Incorporated, occupied space in this new wing at 804 Columbia.

Demolition

The Thiry Family sold the property to real estate investors in 2012. The preservation organization, Historic Seattle.org, said of the sale: "On March 5, 2012, the Daily Journal of Commerce reported that the site where the Paul Thiry Architectural Office Building (800 Columbia Street, First Hill) is located has been sold to Alecta, a Swedish pension fund. The seller was the Thiry Family, LLC. The site and adjacent parking lot to the north were sold for $5.4 million. Unfortunately, a demolition permit has already been issued by the City’s Department of Planning and Development. The Thiry family applied for a demo permit in November 2011 and the permit was issued in January 2012. The property was then sold to Alecta. This case demonstrates a loophole in the environmental review and preservation processes at the City. A proposal to demolish, modify or add onto an existing building that may meet Seattle landmark designation criteria is required to undergo SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) review if it meets the thresholds for review for more than four (4) dwelling units or 4,000 s.f. of non-residential use. If an existing building that may meet the Seattle landmark designation criteria is under these thresholds, then SEPA review is not triggered. Triggering SEPA review for a potential landmark would mean submitting a landmark nomination for review by the LPB. The Paul Thiry Architectural Office Building, at 3,077 s.f., is under the threshold and fell within this loophole and did not require SEPA review or preparation of a landmark nomination. Splitting the demolition application from a proposed new project application may meet the requirements for obtaining permits, but it’s also a way to get around landmark nomination review." (See Historic Seattle.org, "Preservation in Progress: Preservation/Architecture News – the Good, the Bad and the Really Bad," published 03/12/2012, accessed 02/04/2026. The small office building was demolished sometime between 03/2012 and 05/2014, most likely in 2012 or 2013.

PCAD id: 16377