Immigration & Naturalization Service Building - Washington

Client: General Services Administration

Site: Seattle, Washington

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Building in Seattle, Washington is Mediterranean Revival style, and was originally used to house and process immigrants coming into the country. The INS Building retains much of its original character, standing out from other federal buildings of this period, most of which followed the restrained Classical Revival styles favored by James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect from 1905 to 1933. A four-story building on a sloping site, the exterior buff-colored brick facades are ornamented with terra cotta and marble detailing, and stands as a Seattle landmark. The building has undergone relatively few changes up to the present, and proposed changes included upgrading fire and life safety systems, mechanically systems, handicapped access, making site improvements, and general roof repairs. Because so much of this building is intact, special care was required for the installation of these proposed upgrades, and the Historic Structure Report provided detailed recommendations to minimize the impact on the building.