2. Tallest structure in Seattle !!
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I chose this Space Needle because it is Wonderful
example of Futurist Architecture in 1962.
Restaurant in Revolving flying saucer is also
something interesting and unique because of which I
want to research on this exciting needle.
3. Space Needle
It was Built by an Ar. John Graham’s
In 1962 the Space Needle opened for the Seattle World’s
Fair.
You can find more about on https://www.spaceneedle.com/about
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4. Introduction
▫ Edward E. Carlson's sketch of a giant balloon tethered to the ground and
architect John Graham's gives the concept of a flying saucer
▫ The Space Needle stands at 605’ tall and is one of the most photographed
structures in the world.
▫ The tower’s 520’ saucer-shaped “top house” offers visitors Seattle’s only
360-degree indoor and outdoor panoramic views of downtown.
▫ 2.65 million people visited the Needle during the fair & 60 million people
have visited the Needle from 1962-2017.
▫ 4.5 million dollars it cost to build the Space Needle, in approximate 400 days
5. ▫ It takes 43 sec. to go from the ground to the Top
House., and 25 people can be carried in a Needle
elevator.
▫ 800 feet per minute is the speed of Needle elevator and
43 seconds it takes to go from the ground to the Top
House.
▫ In 1982 the Needle opened its new Skyline event
facility at the 100-ft. level
▫ The Needle’s original colors were Astronaut White (the
tower), Orbital Olive (the core), Re-entry Red (the halo)
and Galaxy Gold (the top). Galaxy Gold was actually
more of a tangerine.
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7. Concept !
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▫ Carlson’s initial sketch underwent many
transformations, including designs that
resembled a landed UFO, a tethered balloon and
even a cocktail shaker with a tram ferrying
visitors to the top.
▫ Graham’s team worked on sketches and ideas
and came up with revolving flying saucer-shaped
top house.
▫ Architect Victor Steinbrueck came up with the
wasp-waisted tower shape based on an abstract
sculpture of a dancer called “The Feminine One.”
8. Construction
▫ An underground foundation
was poured into a hole 30’
deep and 120’ across.
▫ It took 467 cement trucks an
entire day to fill the hole with
5600 ton of concrete.
▫ It takes 45 minutes to
make one revolution of the
glass floor.
▫ 74,000 bolts holding the
tower together.
▫ 848 stairs from the Needle’s
basement to the Observation
Desk.
▫ 125 feet is the current
estimated height of the
Needle’s center of gravity.
▫ 200 miles per hour of wind
the Needle was built to
withstand. 8
9. History
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▫ In 1959, Seattle hotel executive Edward E. Carlson,
doodled an idea of a dominant central structure for
the fair on a napkin in a hotel café.
▫ A suitable 120 foot by 120 lot on the site of an old
fire station was found and sold to investors for
$75,000 in 1961.
▫ The Space Needle officially opened on APRIL 21,
1962 (The first day of the World’s Fair).
▫ After the fair in 1963, a radio broadcast booth was
built on the Space Needle for a local radio station.
10. ▫ In 1982, the Needle opened its new Skyline event facility at the 100-ft.
level.
▫ In 1999, the Needle was designated an official Seattle landmark.
▫ The tower completed a $20 million revitalization in 2000.
▫ The project included construction of the Pavilion Level, Space Base retail
store, Sky City restaurant, Observation Deck improvements, exterior
lighting additions, exterior painting and more.
▫ For the Space Needle’s 50th anniversary, it sponsored “Space Race 2012,”
he contest was announced by Buzz Aldrin, the Apollo 11 astronaut who was
the second man to walk the moon.
▫ In September 2017, the Space Needle commenced construction on the
largest renovation project in its history, “The Century Project.”
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13. Renovation
▫ Construction for phase one fully began in September
2017 and wrapped up in Summer 2018.
▫ Pre-work included seismic work along the steel legs of
the superstructure.
▫ New glass barriers, which tilt outward to match the
angle of the building, replaced the wire “caging” on
the outer observation deck offering seamless sight
lines.
▫ Sleek, canted glass benches called Sky risers are
affixed to alternating glass barriers 13
14. 14
Must Watch https://www.spaceneedle.com/webcam/
▫ Floor-to-ceiling glass replaced the low-level interior
walls on the observation deck, creating an
uninhibited view from the moment guests step off
the elevator.
▫ In the interior, the Oculus Stairs – a dramatic new
open circular stairway made of steel, wood, and
glass – winds down from the observation deck to
the 500-foot level.
▫ The two half-moon staircases, for the first time
ever, openly connect the upper 520-foot level to the
lower 500-foot level.
