The Seattle Space Needle

Towering above the Seattle skyline is the iconic Space Needle. If you’ve never been to the US city then you might recognise it from the title sequence of the hit show Frasier or as a cutaway feature in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Before becoming a city showstopper, the Needle started out as a simple doodle on a restaurant napkin or placemat back in 1959.

While visiting Stuttgart in Germany, Edward Carlson, chief organiser of the 1962 World’s Fair, sketched a design of a Seattle building to feature centre stage and host the Century 21 Exposition. Partnering with Seattle architect John Graham, the two transformed the initial skyscraper scribble into a towering reality.

After acquiring a plot of land of nearly 1,340 square metres, a hole over nine metres deep and 36.6 metres wide was excavated to provide the foundation of the building. To fill the massive hole, 467 vehicles poured 5,600 tons of concrete and 250 tons of reinforced steel into its foundation – at the time the largest ever concrete pour attempted on the West Coast. A set of steel tripod legs was then erected, which support the famous flying-saucer-style top-house. Construction was completed in a record-breaking 400 days, in time for the World’s Fair.

Today, the Space Needle has been given a transparent transformation. Hoisted nearly 159 metres above the street below, 48 glass panels – each weighing more than a ton – replace the exterior structure of the observation deck. However, the observation deck isn’t the only thing going glass; the floors of the famous rotating SkyCity restaurant have also been replaced so diners can have a bird’s eye view of the city below.