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Monorail replacement buses operate between Seattle Center and Westlake Center: Mon–Fri 7am–7pm, Sat–Sun 9am–9pm
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Space Needle Seattle’s modern architectural identity began with the Space Needle,
designed by John Graham and Company, for the 1962 World’s Fair. The
three pairs of beams supporting the spire lie buried 30-ft (8-m)
underground, and have secured the 605-ft (185-m) Needle during several
earthquakes and gale-force windstorms. Experience Music Project Designed by renowned Post-Modern architect, Frank Gehry, this technicolor facility resembles a smashed guitar, in homage to the incendiary finales of Jimi
Hendrix’s early career. Paul Allen’s provocative project emphasizes
Seattle’s role at the artistic and musical vanguard.
EMP
Koolhaas Library Award-winning
Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas designed the $196.4 million insulated
glass and steel structure to replace Seattle’s vintage-1960 Central
Library. The unusual oblique structure and glass flooring have been
controversial, but defenders of the building insist that once inside,
people will love it.
Koolhaas Library
Columbia Tower This
76-story skyscraper rises high above any other Seattle structure.
Completed in 1985, from a design by Chester Lindsey Architects, it holds
the US record for most stories in any building west of the Mississippi
River. Three of the 46 elevators bring visitors to the posh private club
at the top. It offers stunning views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic
Peninsula, Mount Rainier, and the Cascade Mountains. 701 5th Ave 206 3865151 8:30–4:30 Mon–Fri Adm for observation deck
Monorail One of the city’s favorite attractions is the Monorail, an exciting 90-second ride designed by Alweg Rapid Transit Systems. Each year, 2.5 million
passengers board its original 1962 cars to get a taste of what designers
imagined would be the mass transit model of the future. Unfortunately, a
train collision in 2005 has closed down the monorail for the time being
and plans to extend the system for mass transit have been put on hold. 370 Thomas St 206 448 3481
Rainier Tower Designed
by renowned Japanese architect Minoru Yamasaki in 1977, this unique
40-story structure resembles an upside-down skyscraper, as its main
tower rises from a relatively narrow 11-story pedestal. Rainier Square, an upscale underground shopping mall, occupies much of its ground level. Seattle Tower This
charming Art Deco building was designed by architects Albertson, Wilson
& Richardson in 1929. The façade’s tan brick and multiple shades of
granite set it apart from its steel and glass neighbors. Vertical
accents make its 27 stories appear even taller, and the lobby’s ornate
bronze and marble detail is capped by a fanciful ceiling bas-relief
depicting local flora and fauna. Smith Tower Typewriter tycoon L.C. Smith erected Seattle’s first skyscraper
in 1914. The white terracotta building has brass hand-operated
elevators that take visitors to the Chinese Room at the 35th level, with
its antique carvings and inlaid porcelain ceiling, and an observation
deck.
Brass elevator doors of the 1914 Smith Tower
Pioneer Building This
striking 1892 building of red brick and terracotta, designed by Elmer
H. Fisher, boasts a National Historic Landmark status. During the Gold
Rush years, 48 mining outfits maintained offices here, and it became
headquarters for a prosperous speakeasy during Prohibition. Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour starts here.
Pioneer Building
Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) From
the Washington State Convention Center to the International District,
this tunnel was designed to carry riders aboard buses that switch from
diesel to electric energy while underground. All tunnel stations are
within the Ride Free Zone.
In 2005 work began to convert the tunnel for light rail as well as bus
use. During the two-year project all tunnel bus routes will operate on
surface street routes.
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