#Willis tower height code#

The 2001 6.8 M w Nisqually earthquake jolted the Needle enough for water to slosh out of the toilets in the restrooms.

#Willis tower height code#

The Space Needle was built to withstand wind speeds of 200 mph (320 km/h), double the requirements in the building code of 1962. Victor Steinbrueck introduced the hourglass profile of the tower. Carlson's sketch (on a napkin) of a giant balloon tethered to the ground (the gently sloping base) and architect John Graham's concept of a flying saucer (the halo that houses the restaurant and observation deck). The two leading ideas for the World Fair involved businessman Edward E. The architecture of the Space Needle is the result of a compromise between the designs of two people, Edward E. On April 19, 1999, the city's Landmarks Preservation Board designated the tower a historic landmark.Īrchitecture Left to right: CN Tower ( Toronto), Willis Tower ( Chicago), Stratosphere ( Las Vegas), Space Needle Visitors can reach the top of the Space Needle by elevators, which take 41 seconds. The Space Needle features an observation deck 520 ft (160 m) above ground, providing views of the downtown Seattle skyline, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay, and various islands in Puget Sound. 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. The Space Needle was once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River, standing at 605 ft (184 m).

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. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States.