The Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, USA

The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is a landmark of the Pacific Northwest and an icon of Seattle. It was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World’s Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors. Nearly 20,000 people a day used its elevators during the event. It is 605 ft (184 m) high, 138 ft (42 m) wide, and weighs 9,550 short tons (8,660 tonnes). It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude,^[ as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. It also has 25 lightning rods.

Visitors can reach the top of the Space Needle by elevators that travel at 10 mph (16 km/h). The trip takes 41 seconds. On windy days, the elevators slow to 5 mph (8.0 km/h). On April 19, 1999, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Board designated it a historic landmark.

Edward F. Carlson, chairman of the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, had an idea for erecting a tower with a restaurant at the World’s Fair. Carlson was president of a hotel company and was not recognized in art or design, but he was inspired by a recent visit to the Stuttgart Tower of Germany. Local architect John Graham soon became involved as a result of his success in designing Northgate Mall. Graham’s first move was to alter the restaurant’s original design to a revolving restaurant, similar to his previous design of the La Ronde tower restaurant at the Ala Moana Shopping Center in Hawaii.

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Space Needle
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Record height
Tallest in Seattle and Washington state from 1962 to 1969[
Preceded by	Smith Tower
Surpassed by	Safeco Plaza
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Observation tower
Location	400 Broad Street Seattle, Washington, U.S. 98109
Coordinates	47.6204°N 122.3491°WCoordinates: 47.6204°N 122.3491°W
Construction started	April 17, 1961
Completed	December 8, 1961
Opening	April 21, 1962
Owner	Space Needle Corporation
Height
Antenna spire	184 m (604 ft)
Top floor	158 m (518 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	6
Lifts/elevators	3
Design and construction
Architect	John Graham & Company
Structural engineer	John K. Minasian Victor Steinbrueck
Main contractor	Howard S. Wright Construction Co