Image courtesy of © David Sundberg-Esto

A 25-story office tower designed by New Haven-based architects Pickard Chilton is raising the bar for high-end workplaces.

Skanska Commercial Development has completed construction of The Eight, a 541,000-square-foot tower at 10770 NE 8th St. in Bellevue, Washington.

Pokémon Co. International signed on as anchor tenant for the project in January, leasing 374,000 square feet.

The building’s column-free floor plates and 14-foot ceilings maximize an open floor plan. Exposed diagonal braces wrap around the tower to provide structural stability.

“Our collaboration with Pickard Chilton resulted in an iconic building that features light-filled, engaging spaces for everyone from office workers to residents and visitors to connect, gather, and thrive in the heart of the city,” Skanska USA Commercial Development Executive Vice President Charlie Foushée said in a statement.

A publicly accessible lobby lounge called the “Living Room” opens onto a plaza, while a separate heavy timber-frame pavilion occupies the eastern edge of the site. The tower includes seven tenant terraces.

Pickard Chilton and Skanska previously teamed up in 2020 on development of the 2+U office tower in Seattle.