Which Seattle tower was built for the 1962 World's Fair?

The Space Needle is the Seattle tower built for the 1962 World’s Fair.

The observation tower was constructed at Seattle Center for the Century 21 Exposition, which promoted a futuristic vision of the Space Age. It opened on April 21, 1962, and quickly became Seattle’s defining landmark. The fair attracted more than 2.3 million visitors, many of whom rode the elevators to the tower’s observation deck.

The idea began with Edward E. Carlson, chairman of the exposition, who imagined a tower with a restaurant. Architect John Graham helped develop the design, including the revolving restaurant, while designer and architect Victor Steinbrueck contributed to the tower’s distinctive form. Its saucer-like top and slender legs were intended to suggest motion and futuristic technology.

The Space Needle stands about 605 feet tall and was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It is often confused with broadcast towers or Toronto’s CN Tower, but the Space Needle was designed primarily as an observation and dining attraction, not as a communications facility. Its 848-step stairway runs from the basement to the top observation deck.