As you enter the foyer you are immediately greeted with an amazing looking onyx and marble panelled lobby that is watched over by 22 Indian heads! The elaborate brass elevator doors open and you enter the original caged elevators that are the last manually operated ones on the West Coast. Bank Tower in Los Angeles.įor me the Smith Tower has so many unique features that give it a special character that buildings of today just cannot offer. This record was taken by the Space Needle in 1962, then the Columbia Center in 1985 but since 1989 this record is now held by the U.S. The Smith Tower was then the fourth tallest building in the world and the tallest West of the Mississippi river. The tower was built by Lyman Smith of the Smith family of New York who owned the Smith Corona Typewriter Company (he unfortunately passed away before it was completed). Space Needle, Smith Tower & Columbia Center Smith TowerĬonstruction of the Smith Tower started in 1910 and it opened in 1914. An old school 42 floor skyscraper with a pyramid shaped gothic tower. Spectacular 360 degree views of the city, Puget Sound and San Juan Islands are the icing on the cake for what has already been a memorable experience.ĬELLOPHANELAND* were guests of the Smith Towerįor more information visit Seattle the most iconic structure is the Space Needle, the tallest is the Columbia Center(76 floors) but for me the most interesting is the Smith Tower. It comes complete with a Wishing Chair – where no singleton should sit unless they wish to be married within the year – and a cocktail bar. The highlight is a ride up the original Otis elevator, in gleaming copper, brass and polished wood, complete with a uniformed attendant who clangs the gates shut and tells us that the mechanism is, almost uniquely, still in working order.Ī swift journey to the Observatory at the top brings another historic surprise: an ornate Chinese room in gilt and dark wood. We get the chance to sit at the giant telephone switchboard, ‘meet’ former employees and learn of their lives, as well as admire the period interiors. In 1922 a one armed man made his name as one of the worlds first base-jumpers by parachuting off the tower. In the tour we learn about the city, the owner and the buildings construction as well as lots of quirky facts. The Smith Tower was commissioned by typewriter magnate LC Smith who, like other businessmen of the era, saw the building as a huge advertising opportunity. This is a self-guided tour celebrating the iconic building’s history and architecture. Built in 1914 it was one of the countries first and biggest skyscrapers, it is a fascinating historical monument and, at 522 feet, is plenty high enough for lofty cityscapes.Ĭonveniently in the centre of downtown, a tempting gift shop serves as the gateway to ‘ The Legends of Smith Tower’. The 62-story Seattle Municipal Tower also has restaurants located on its upper floors.īut while these no doubt have pretty impressive views, it is the Smith Tower that we find ourselves most drawn to. The public is allowed to enjoy the view from the Sky View Observatory on the 73rd floor. and the tallest building in all of Washington state. The tallest structures are pleasantly varied, and include a mix of modernist office towers, Art Deco blocks and recent glassy monoliths.Īs of 2013, the Columbia Center is the 20th tallest building in the U.S. The city’s skyline is probably best known for the Space Needle, but that’s hardly the tallest building, and inconvenient to reach whilst many of Seattle’s skyscrapers outrank it in height. On a hillside at the ocean edge the cities buildings actually seem to rise straight from the waters of Puget Sound. Downtown Seattle sits in a spectacular location right on the edge of the Pacific ocean, with a compact centre that is filled with more than its fair share of skyscrapers.
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