The Globe Building is one of the enduring buildings of Seattle’s Pioneer Square, a four-story brick commercial building completed in 1891 during the city’s remarkable rebuilding period.

The building’s story reaches back to one of the most important periods in Seattle’s history. Following the Great Seattle Fire, much of the city’s commercial district was rebuilt in brick and stone, and Pioneer Square began taking shape as the historic neighborhood we know today.

The Globe Building emerged from that transformation.

The Globe Building at 308 First Avenue South in Pioneer Square is sometimes confused with other Seattle buildings in the area, including other buildings known as the Globe Building. This page is about the building that is now home to AXIS Pioneer Square.

How the Great Seattle Fire Changed Seattle

To understand the Globe Building, it helps to understand the Seattle that existed before it.

On June 6, 1889, a fire swept through Seattle’s business district and waterfront, destroying a large portion of the city’s predominantly wooden commercial buildings.

Seattle responded by changing the way its commercial district would be built.

New building requirements called for masonry construction in the commercial fire zone. Brick and stone began replacing much of the wood construction that had characterized the city before the fire.

Pioneer Square emerged from that rebuilding period as a district defined by substantial masonry commercial buildings.

The Globe Building was part of that transformation.

When Was the Globe Building Built?

The Globe Building was completed in 1891.

That date is an important part of the building’s identity. Completed in 1891, the Globe Building emerged during a period when Seattle was rebuilding and redefining itself as a growing commercial city.

More than 130 years later, the building remains standing and continues to serve an active purpose in Seattle.

What Was the Globe Building Originally Called?

The building now known as the Globe Building was originally the Marshall-Walker Building, also known as the Marshall-Walker Block. It was designed by William E. Boone and jointly developed by Ezekiel L. Marshall and Cyrus Walker.

The building was designed for commercial use, including warehouse space and offices serving Seattle’s growing commercial district. The southern half originally contained approximately 50 separate offices.

Why Is It Called the Globe Building?

The name Globe Building is associated with the Globe Hotel, which occupied the northern portion of the block. The building’s official historic name was the Marshall-Walker Building, but over time, Globe Building became the common name used for the structure.

The Globe Hotel occupied space at 300–304 First Avenue South, while the Globe Building itself extends along First Avenue South and South Main Street.

The name has remained with the building even as its tenants and uses have changed dramatically over more than a century.

What Is the Architecture of the Globe Building?

The Globe Building is a four-story solid-brick commercial building with cut-stone ashlar trim on the first story and a load-bearing masonry structural system.

Its architectural character combines elements associated with the Chicago School, Queen Anne, and Richardsonian Romanesque traditions.

Notable features include wide arches in rusticated stone, repeated bays, corbel detailing, and a distinctive lunette window trimmed in rusticated masonry.

The building was designed to accommodate commercial use and heavy loads. The southern half originally contained approximately 50 separate offices.

The architecture reflects a time when Seattle was transforming rapidly from a largely wooden commercial city into a growing urban center built increasingly in brick and stone.

The Elliott Bay Book Company and the Globe Building

One of the Globe Building’s best-known modern chapters began in 1973, when the Elliott Bay Book Company moved into the ground floor.

The independent bookstore remained in the building until 2010 and became one of Seattle’s beloved literary institutions.

The building also housed Elliott Bay Café, associated with chef Tamara Murphy, during the 2000s and 2010s.

These uses became important chapters in the building’s continuing Seattle story.

How Has the Globe Building Survived?

The Globe Building is described in historical records as surprisingly intact on the exterior.

Like other historic buildings in Pioneer Square, it has undergone changes over the decades. The original cornice was lost, and storefronts were reconstructed at the First Avenue and Main Street corner and along First Avenue.

Yet much of the building’s architectural character remains.

Original finishes and characteristic Victorian millwork survive inside, while the exterior continues to express the character of the nineteenth-century building.

The Globe Building also survived the 1949 earthquake with only minor damage.

Its survival is an important part of its history.

Standing strong through earthquakes, redevelopment, and over a century of Seattle growth.

The Globe Building and Pioneer Square

The Globe Building stands within Seattle’s Pioneer Square Preservation District, one of the city’s most important historic areas.
The district preserves a concentration of buildings associated with Seattle’s rebuilding after the Great Seattle Fire and the development of the city’s early commercial core.
The Globe Building is part of that larger architectural story.
Its significance is not simply that it is old. It is a physical record of Seattle’s transformation.
The brick buildings of Pioneer Square represent the city that emerged after the fire, and the Globe Building remains one of those surviving structures.

The Globe Building Today

Today, the Globe Building has another chapter to add to its long Seattle history.

It is home to AXIS Pioneer Square, a Seattle venue offering approximately 10,000 square feet of flexible event space for weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, photography, productions, gallery exhibitions, and other gatherings.

The building’s original character gives this Seattle venue an atmosphere that is difficult to reproduce in a conventional event facility.

Original brick archways, exposed timber beams, antique wood floors, high ceilings, natural light, granite-topped bars, and steel details remain part of the environment.

The building’s history provides the setting. AXIS provides the place where people use it today.

A Seattle Venue in the Heart of Pioneer Square

Location is another reason the Globe Building works so well as a Seattle venue.
AXIS Pioneer Square is located at 308 First Avenue South in the heart of Pioneer Square, close to downtown Seattle and within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, transportation, galleries, and other city destinations.
The Seattle waterfront is also within walking distance.
For guests coming from outside the neighborhood, the location makes it possible to stay nearby, use public transportation, walk to restaurants and coffee shops, explore Pioneer Square, visit the waterfront, and experience downtown Seattle before or after an event.
For event planners, the surrounding neighborhood becomes part of the experience.

What Makes AXIS Pioneer Square a Different Seattle Venue?

AXIS Pioneer Square combines flexible event space with the architectural character of the Globe Building.
The approximately 10,000-square-foot venue includes interconnected spaces that can be configured for different types and sizes of events.

The venue also has direct access to Nord Alley, providing an outdoor extension of the event space within the surrounding Pioneer Square environment.

When spaces are combined, AXIS can accommodate approximately 500–550 guests standing or 300–350 seated.

The result is a Seattle venue that offers something difficult to reproduce in a newly constructed event facility: genuine historic architecture that remains part of an active, functioning venue.

Weddings, Corporate Events and More

AXIS Pioneer Square has hosted weddings, ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, fundraisers, private parties, gallery exhibitions, photography sessions, video productions, and other creative gatherings.

For couples looking for a Seattle wedding venue, the Globe Building provides an architectural setting with character, natural light, flexible space, and access to Nord Alley.

For companies and organizations, the venue offers flexible space for corporate events, fundraisers, meetings, celebrations, and other gatherings.

For photographers and creative teams, the building’s architecture provides a distinctive working environment.

And for private celebrations, the venue can be configured for both intimate gatherings and larger events.

The Globe Building as Part of Seattle’s Continuing Story

The Globe Building has changed considerably since 1891.

Its tenants have changed.

Its uses have changed.

Seattle has changed around it.

But the building remains.

That may be the most remarkable part of its history.

The Globe Building emerged during a period when Seattle was rebuilding and redefining itself. It became a commercial building, a hotel, a place of business, a bookstore, a café, and eventually a Seattle venue.

Today, people enter the same building for very different reasons than they did more than a century ago.

A wedding might take place where offices once operated.

A corporate gathering might fill a space that once served a commercial tenant.

A photography production might use architectural details that have been part of the building for generations.

The building continues to serve Seattle because it continues to be used.

Globe Building Frequently Asked Questions

When Was the Globe Building Completed?

The Globe Building was completed in 1891 and became part of Seattle’s post-fire commercial development in Pioneer Square.

Where Is the Globe Building Located?

The Globe Building is located in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood at 308 First Avenue South, where AXIS Pioneer Square operates today.

What Was the Globe Building Originally Called?

The building was officially known as the Marshall-Walker Building, or Marshall-Walker Block.

Why Is It Called the Globe Building?

The building became known as the Globe Building because the Globe Hotel occupied the northern portion of the block.

Who Designed the Globe Building?

The Globe Building was designed by William E. Boone, an architect associated with Seattle’s post-fire rebuilding.

What Has the Globe Building Been Used For?

The building has housed warehouses, commercial offices, the Globe Hotel, businesses, the Seattle Quilt Company, Elliott Bay Book Company, Elliott Bay Café, and other uses throughout its history.

What Is in the Globe Building Today?

Today, the Globe Building is home to AXIS Pioneer Square, a Seattle venue offering space for weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, photography, productions, gallery exhibitions, and other gatherings.

Is AXIS Pioneer Square a Seattle Wedding Venue?

Yes. AXIS Pioneer Square is a Seattle venue that hosts weddings, ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, and other celebrations within the Globe Building.

How Large Is AXIS Pioneer Square?

AXIS Pioneer Square offers approximately 10,000 square feet of flexible event space, with combined spaces accommodating approximately 500–550 guests standing or 300–350 seated.

Where Can I Tour or Book AXIS Pioneer Square?

AXIS Pioneer Square is located at 308 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104. Prospective clients can contact the venue to arrange a tour and discuss event availability, space, and booking options.

Visit AXIS Pioneer Square

The Globe Building has been part of Seattle for more than a century. Today, it remains an active part of the city as the home of AXIS Pioneer Square, a Seattle venue for weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, photography, productions, and much more.

For information about touring the venue, planning an event, or booking AXIS Pioneer Square, visit the venue’s contact page.