Maynard Building, Seattle

The Maynard Building, was originally designed by architect Albert Wickersham in 1892 to house Dexter Horton's nascent banking business, which eventually grew into Seafirst Bank. With its beautifully composed elevations, fine detailing and delicate Romanesque Revival carving, it has been praised by many, including Sally Woodbridge, who stated in A Guide to Architecture in Washington State: "The most sophisticated of the Chicago School buildings of the area, it is true to the Sullivanesque principle of weaving spandrel and pier to create a refined and structurally expressive design."

Clad in buff brick and sandstone, the five-story building is rectangular in plan and also has a basement level, partially visible from the street. It now houses mainly office space in a beautifully furbished interior, with a few businesses on the first floor, including Pegasus Coffee. There is no doorman or lobby desk, so you can just go straight up the elevator to whatever floor you want. A beautiful (though small) roof deck faces west, but you need a key code to reach it.