Fifty years ago, the Seattle World's Fair opened in what is now the Seattle Center. To celebrate that anniversary, the Fair's most recognizable symbol, the Space Needle, was painted orange again, just as it was back in 1962:
Image credit: Jim Skinner Photograph Collection/Seattle Municipal Archives/Wikimedia
Even though I didn't live out here at the time, I attended the Fair. I don't remember much about it, since I was only six years old. I remember it being overcast or rainy most of the time we were here.
Ever since the Fair, the Space Needle has remained one of the world's most recognizable buildings. Most of the time I've lived in the Pacific Northwest, though, it has been painted like this:
Image credit: Photo by Dana Hunter, cropped by Cujo359
There's just something nondescript about that paint scheme. Happily, at least for this year, that's changed. Here's how the Space Needle looks this summer:
Image credit: Cujo359
I'm hoping they'll keep that orange paint on it for a while. After all, when it has to compete with buildings like these for attention:
Image credit: Cujo359
it probably could use all the help it can get. You'd almost get the feeling that the folks who decide these things didn't want the Space Needle to call attention to itself.
By the way, here's what it looks like from the Center, just outside the Experience Music Project building:
Image credit: Cujo359
It's easily the best vantage point in the city, because most of Seattle's other skyscrapers are fairly far away from it. The top of the Needle is on a turntable. It rotates roughly once an hour. Have lunch in the restaurant, and you can watch most of Seattle out your window before you've finished.
As always, click on the pictures to see them full size. Have a good Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment