You are here: Home > The Buildings > North America > United States > Seattle > Space Needle
Space Needle photograph.


Space Needle photograph.


Got more pictures?
Got better information?
Share your photos and knowledge on the Towrs wiki!


Most E-mailed Buildings
Burj Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Freedom Tower (New York)
New York, United States
Chicago Spire
Chicago, United States
John Hancock Center (Chicago)
Chicago, United States
Hydropolis
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)
Chicago, United States
Willis Tower
Chicago, United States
AT&T Building (Nashville)
Nashville, United States
World Trade Center (New York)
New York, United States
Taipei 101
Taipei, Taiwan

The Space Needle

Built: 1961
Cost: $4,500,000
Designed by: Edward E. Carlson
Type: Tower
Maximum Height: 605 feet / 184 meters
Maximum width: 138 feet / 42 meters
Location: 219 Fourth Avenue North, Seattle, United States

@
Share this page
Copyright information.
Quote this article.
Printer-friendly version.
Text-only version.

Building Rating
50%
80% of readers like the Space Needle.
What do you think?
Advertisement
A symbol not only of Seattle, but of the entire northwest, the Space Needle has been called the Eiffel Tower of the Pacific. Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Space Needle was created for an international exposition. In this case, the 1962 World's Fair. The Space Needle's unique shape is the result of a compromise. One early design envisioned a balloon tethered to the ground. This element cam be seen in its gently sloping legs. Another design envisioned a flying saucer. This can be clearly seen in the halo that holds the restaurants and observation deck. Once the specific physics of the merged plans were worked out what remains is today's Needle. While not as notoriously unstable as Los Angeles, Seattle has more than its fair share of earthquakes. Obviously the Space Needle had to be designed with this in mind. The engineers wanted to make sure it would stand up to Mother Nature, so they exceeded the building codes of the time. In addition to earthquakes, the tower can withstand winds up to 200 miles an hour, but will close to the public during less fierce storms as a precaution.

  • 1965 - A 6.5 earthquake jolts Seattle, rocking the Space Needle enough for water to slosh out of the toilets.

Related Links
Talk about the world's great architecture at the Agoraphoria forum.

Swokm
Thursday, January 10th, 2008 @ 6:19am
Rating: Five stars.
The way it tops off the skyline is perfect! Pretty interesting on its own, too, of course. I guess it could be just wrong in a different setting but is perfect here. I think more architects should take note of how it has become beloved by the public (though met with shock at first). Nothing ventured nothing gained!

Katie Hart
April 23rd, 2003
I love the colors of the space needle and I am excited to go on Friday


Add your corrections, comments, reviews, or thoughts about this building. Simply fill out the form below.
Your name:
E-mail address:
Your nation:
Rate this structure:
1 5
Your comments:
  Messages without valid e-mail addresses, or containing profanity will be automatically discarded. You're wasting your time, not ours.

Return to the top of the page.
© 2009 Artefaqs Corporation. :: Privacy Policy :: Contact
Photographs and information may not be used without permission. Contact us for details.

All your skyscrapers are belong to us.