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Above: Seattle's most famous landmark: Space Needle (184m/605f, 1961).
The structure was built for the 1962 World Fair and is part of Seattle Center.
This 74-acre park also includes a large coliseum for sports, an opera house, The Pacific Science Center
and laserium, the Seattle Art Museum, the Fun Forest amusement park, and the monorail,
which makes a mile-long run to downtown from the base of the Space Needle.
The Space Needle has an observation deck at the158m/518f level, which gives great 360 degree views
of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, the Cascade, Olympic mountain, and Lake Washington.
Costs to go up are $14,- for adults. You can also buy a $17,- ticket,
which gives you a free second visit at night.
Of course, you can also dine at the revolving restaurant, and enjoy the view while eating.
But, be warned that the restaurant is a pretty expensive place to dine!
Above left and middle: three pictures of 1001 Fourth Avenue Plaza (192m/630f, 50 stories, 1969).
Locals refer to it as 'the box that the Space Needle came in'.
It was one of the city's first real skyscrapers.
Above right: 1000 Second Avenue (150m/493f, 43 stories, 1987).
The building can be seen as well on the first picture, in front of 1001 Fourth Avenue Plaza.
Above: pictures of US Bank Centre (177m/580f, 44 stories, 1989).
Above: Wells Fargo Center (175m/574f, 47 stories, 1983).
Above: Union Bank of California Center (163m/536f, 42 stories, 1973).
Above left: Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza (166m/543f, 42 stories, 1981).
Above middle: Rainier Tower (157m/514f, 31 stories, 1977).
The architect of this building was the same one that designed
the World Trade Center buildings in NYC, Seattle-born Minoru Yamasaki.
Above right: Westin Hotel North (137m/449f, 47 stories, 1982)
and South Tower (121m/397f, 40 stories, 1969).
Above left and middle: Seattle's first skyscraper: Smith Tower (142m/465f, 38 stories).
Upon completion in 1914, it was the fourth tallest building in the world,
and it remained the tallest building west of Chicago for almost 50 years.
The building is in use as office, but the top four floors are an apartment.
The 35th floor has an observatory ($5,- to go up), which gives a 360 degree view.
Access to the deck is via the last manually operated (brass and copper caged) elevators on the west coast.
In 2000, the building received a $28 million restoration.
Above left: vertical skyline view taken off the ferry to Bainbridge Island.
Above middle left: the weekend I was in Seattle, the $430 million, 67,000 people, new football stadium
of the Seattle Seahawks was opened and there was a free tour for the public.
The picture was taken from one of the highest seats in the Seahawks Stadium and Exhibition Center,
as it is officially called. Click here to see a picture of the stadium itself.
Above middle right: vertical skyline view of Downtown taken from the skydeck of the Bank of America Tower.
In the front of the Picture you can see part of IDX Tower,
the tallest building that was under construction when I was in Seattle (June 2002).
The building was completed late 2002, is 156m/512f tall, with 40 stories.
Above right: vertical skyline view at dusk taken from the Space Needle.
Above: a few more skyline views of downtown Seattle.
Click here to go to back to page 1 of Seattle
Seattle's 10 tallest skyscrapers:
1. COLUMBIA CENTER 285m/937f, 76 stories, 1985
2. WASHINGTON MUTUAL TOWER 235m/772f, 55 stories, 1988
3. TWO UNION SQUARE 226m/740f, 56 stories, 1989
4. SEATTLE MUNICIPAL TOWER 220m/722f, 57 stories, 1990
5. 1001 FOURTH AVENUE PLAZA 192m/630f, 50 stories, 1969
6. WAMU CENTER 182m/598f, 42 stories, 2006
7. US BANK CENTRE 177m/580f, 44 stories, 1989
8. WELLS FARGO CENTER 175m/574f, 47 stories, 1983
9. BANK OF AMERICA FIFTH AVENUE PLAZA 166m/543f, 42 stories, 1981
10. UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA 163m/536f, 42 stories, 1973
The building data, the top 10 of tallest buildings and some of the building information are courtesy of
EMPORIS.COM, one of the world's leading architectural resources on tall buildings.
All pictures copyright (c) 2002 Patrick Beckers. All Rights Reserved.
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