The exterior glass walls slope outward from floor to ceiling to minimize reflections, so the view of the Space Needle's legs remains as unobstructed as possible. S ince its debut as the focal point of the 1962 World's Fair, Seattle's Space Needle has stood as a symbol of the region's achievements and hopes for the future. The improvements are designed to better accommodate the more than 1 million annual Space Needle visitors, many of whom wait hours for the 43-second elevator ride to the top. The improvement project was designed by Callison Architecture with KPFF Consulting Engineers, both based in Seattle, and construction was performed by the Bellevue, Washington, office of McCarthy Building Companies, which is headquartered in St. Louis. A bridge links the spiraling ramp and the second-floor platform near the elevators where visitors are whisked to the Space Needle's observation areas.
Video screens positioned along the ramp provide information of interest.
Upon their return, visitors exit through a new retail area. Gary Wakatsuki, Callison's principal in charge of design, says that original sketches of the Needle by architect Victor Steinbrueck depicted a ramp circling the base of the tower. While Steinbrueck's sketches provided a conceptual basis for the design of the new pavilion, the design team had to accommodate the strictures of a 1998 decision that officially conferred landmark status on the structure. Any improvements to the Needle had to respect the historic and aesthetic nature of the original structure. The nautilus design remains true to Steinbrueck's concept and satisfies the requirement imposed by the landmark designation.