Art Collaboration

When one hears the name the “Space Needle”, it doesn’t take long for an image of the towering building to pop up in your head. Built in 1962, the Space Needle has developed into an iconic piece of architecture associated with the Pacific Northwest, and the city of Seattle in particular. 60 million people have gone out of their way to visit the attraction since the day it was built, and that number is growing at a rapid rate. It is not a complete visit to Seattle unless you stop at the base of the Space Needle to gaze up at its towering height or even take an elevator ride up to the top to see the incredible view of the Pacific northwest.

At the time it was built, there was no architecture like it, and no architecture built since seems to compare to its unique style.

At first glance, the Space Needle and its architectural style is a lot to take in. There is a multilayer saucer like shape perched on top of a structured tripod style base. The base and top of the structure is wide and sturdy, and the middle thins out into an almost hourglass figure. The colors are neutral, with the base legs painted in white and the interior walls painted in black. One aspect that makes the structure of the building unique is its circular and unified composition, which is pleasing to the human eye. It towers above the surrounding buildings at a height of 605 feet and is an essential aspect of the Seattle skyline. The saucer shape on top houses three separate observation decks, one of them which was recently renovated with glass floors. The most stunning aspect of this building is not the architecture itself but instead the views that can be seen from the top of the needle. The circular design of the Space Needle provides you with stunning views of the Olympic and cascade mountain ranges, Mount Rainier, the cities of downtown Seattle and Bellevue, and even the Puget Sound. Most everyone who lives in the United States can picture in their head exactly what is described here, and can agree that there’s nothing out there quite like it.

Behind the stunning design is the combination of ideas from multiple talented architects with different personal backgrounds. Architecture is a unique art form in that it invites collaboration. For art like paintings and sculptures, it is uncommon for artists to work together as it can be an extremely personal creation filled with nuance specific to that artists ideas. But what makes architecture a unique art form is that collaboration is common, and in most cases, necessary. People will be living and walking in these buildings, so much more is at stake. Some people may think of collaboration within art as a negative as it has the ability to deprive the artists of their full creative potential, but for the creation of the Space Needle it was quite the opposite. The Space Needle was designed from the ideas of Edward Carlson, John Graham and Victor Steinbrueck. Carlson had the idea for the building to house a restaurant, Graham came up with the “flying saucer” resting on top and the rotating design, and Steinbrueck created the sketch for the unique hourglass shape. It is interesting to look at the Space Needle and recognize how many different original concepts came together into one magnificent and uniform piece of art.

The Space Needle, given it’s status as an iconic piece of architecture, is used as a medium for the city of Seattle to voice its opinions and show support for social matters, and to bring together a large city into one unit. Even it’s name, the “Space Needle”, can be thought of as a social commentary. The futuristic design of the Space Needle was supposed to reflect the growing desire for humans to enter into a new age of space travel. It’s goal was to conjure up feelings of aspiration, desire and hope for a better future. Today it has transformed into a symbol specific to Seattle, and its innovative design perfectly reflects the progressive and forward thinking vibe of the city. Besides it’s name, the Space Needle is also manipulated physically from time to time to show support for events that occur during the year. For example, on the remembrance day of 9/11, the flag at the top of the Space Needle is flown at half mast as a way to honor the victims in the terrorist attack. It is a simple yet powerful gesture that is appreciated by many. On a less serious note, the Space Needle was also used as a way to show support for the local Seattle sports teams who won important games, including having the UW logo painted on top to congratulate them for their 1992 Rose Bowl win. Additionally, every 4th of July and New Years Eve there is a huge fireworks show shooting straight out of the Space Needle. The Space Needle, by hosting events like these, has the power to bring together a community of 725 thousand people, which is necessary for a city as diverse and large as Seattle.

Most are familiar with the Space Needle and can appreciate its stunning appearance, but few are aware of the history behind its grandeur. And will continue to be as long as it stays standing.

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