Another signature feature of the Space Needle's $100 million renovation made its public debut today as the tower unveiled 10 newly installed glass benches called Skyrisers. Affixed to the new 11-foot high glass walls along the open-air observation level, each Skyriser inclines over the outermost part of the Space Needle, allowing visitors to lean back and experience the intense feeling of floating over the Seattle skyline 520-feet above ground.
"Seattle's 'must see' is now a 'must do'," says Space Needle Chief Marketing Officer Karen Olson. "The Space Needle has always been known as one of the best views of the Pacific Northwest. Now, it will be one of the most thrilling."
Nearly 80 percent of the observation level will be completed by Memorial Day weekend. The observation level's original pony walls and caging have been completely replaced with 48 state-of-the-art glass panels and will eventually include a total of 24 Skyrisers. The fourteen additional Skyrisers will be made available to the public as soon as they surpass the 28-day period required for the installation adhesive to cure.
"This is my first time in Seattle, so being one of the first guests to experience the Space Needle's new Skyrisers is pretty awesome," says visitor Kathrine Chin from Honolulu, Hawaii. "My family and I took an amazing photo on one of the Skyrisers. The glass draws in a ton of natural light and opens up the view-it's a breathtaking experience."
The Space Needle continues to be open during construction and by the Fourth of July weekend, both levels-including the world's first rotating glass floor-will be fully open to the public.
The Space Needle's Century Project is a multi-year venture focused on preservation and renovation of the beloved icon. A project several years in the making, the Century Project aims to reveal the historic tower's internal structure and harken back to the original conceptual sketches, all while expanding and improving the Space Needle's iconic views and guest experience. For more information on the renovation, visit www.seewhatsup.space.
About the Space Needle
The Space Needle is the celebrated icon of Seattle, second only to the Eiffel Tower in Paris as the most easily-identified global skyline feature. Built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, it continues to symbolize the leading-edge innovation and technology that the city is known for and serves as a beacon into the future.
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