The Cadillac Hotel was one of the first masonry buildings constructed in Seattle after the Great Fire of 1889. Badly damaged by the Nisqually earthquake in 2001 and initially slated to be razed, the building’s survival was ensured through a four-year effort by many individuals and organizations. Retention of the original architectural fabric and reintegration of existing materials was a cornerstone of the Cadillac’s rehabilitation.
SMR’s strategy focused on salvaging, evaluating, and integrating existing and new brick masonry on the reconstructed elevations. Work included rehabilitation of existing windows with double glazing, incorporation of new building mechanical and electrical systems; installation of steel brace frames and wood shear walls for improved seismic performance; and restoration of an two-story interior light court.
Today the building stands as a hallmark of rehabilitation work in the Pioneer Square National Historic District. The ground floor and basement levels currently serve as home to the Seattle Unit of the National Park Service’s Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. The upper floors house offices for the National Park Service in Seattle.
