To spot Docusign Tower, look for a tall, six-sided skyscraper with sleek lines and stripes, standing boldly above its neighbors as you face west toward the waterfront-its dark-tinted glass and polished stone façade make it pop out from the surrounding buildings.
Now, imagine you’re standing here in front of this towering giant, feeling the breeze off the bay and staring up, way, way up. The Docusign Tower, as we call it today, wasn’t always so high-tech and paperless. In fact, back in the early 1980s, this very spot echoed with the last moments of the old Olympic National Life building-a 12-story downtown legend from 1906 that got a dramatic sendoff. Early one Sunday morning in 1982, as crowds gathered in anticipation, the structure was shaken to its core and imploded in a thunderous, smoky cloud. Imagine the excitement and maybe a little bit of nervous energy-Seattle had never seen anything like it before!
As the dust settled, a team from McKinley Architects sketched out a futuristic vision. Picture a six-sided skyscraper rising up with strength and a bit of flair-continuous bands of tinted glass, elegant rose granite, and so many elevators you’d think they were running an express train to the clouds. When it opened in 1983 as the First Interstate Center, it quickly became a cornerstone of Seattle’s skyline.
Over the years, the building has had more name changes than a secret agent. After First Interstate Bancorp merged with Wells Fargo, it became the Wells Fargo Center-then a Canadian group swooped in, and by 2020, the digital signature company Docusign claimed the top spot, naming the tower after themselves.
Check out the slope in the street here-one entrance is a full two stories higher than the other. And don’t miss the west side, where you’ll find quirky escalators that once looked like space-age hamster tubes and now have a more modern glass roof. Retail spaces and tiered plazas outside invite you to linger, sip coffee, or people-watch.
Standing here, you’re not just seeing a skyscraper-you’re witnessing the stories, ambition, and a little Seattle boldness that shaped this backdrop to the city’s ever-changing life. You've got to love a building that's seen so much action, right?
