Space Needle

Space Needle
In 2011
Record height
Tallest in Seattle and Washington state from 1962 to 1969[I]
Preceded by	Smith Tower
Surpassed by	Safeco Plaza
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Observation tower
Address	400 Broad Street Seattle, King County, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates	47°37′13″N 122°20′57″W / 47.6204°N 122.3491°W / 47.6204; -122.3491 (Space Needle)
Construction started	April 17, 1961
Completed	December 8, 1961
Opening	April 21, 1962
Owner	Space Needle Corporation
Height
Antenna spire	605.00 ft (184.404 m)
Top floor	518 ft (158 m)
Technical details
Floor count	6
Lifts/elevators	3
Design and construction
Architect(s)	John Graham & Company
Structural engineer	John K. Minasian Victor Steinbrueck
Main contractor	Howard S. Wright Construction Co.
Website
www.spaceneedle.com
Seattle Landmark
Designated	April 19, 1999[1]
References
[2][3][4][5][6]

The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors.

At 605 ft (184 m) high the Space Needle was once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River. The tower is 138 ft (42 m) wide, weighs 9,550 short tons (8,660 metric tons), and 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.

Elevators take visitors to an observation deck 520 ft (160 m) above ground in 41 seconds, which offers panoramic views of the downtown Seattle skyline, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay, and various islands in Puget Sound. On April 19, 1999, the city's Landmarks Preservation Board designated the tower a historic landmark.