First the Space Needle, now Columbia Center touts its own revamp
Jul 21, 2018, 11:04 PM
The view from the Columbia Center observatory, which recently underwent a $25 million revamp. (Photo: MyNorthwest)
(Photo: MyNorthwest)
Seattle’s tall buildings appear to be involved in some sort of arms race at the moment. The Space Needle recently expanded its views with 11-foot-tall glass walls and slanted glass benches up top, and now the Columbia Center is touting its own renovations.
In a $25 million revamp, the Columbia Center added a new atrium at the Fourth Avenue entrance with an express elevator that now bypasses offices and takes you straight to the top in a 70-second, ear-popping trip.
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If you find yourself getting bored in that brief ride, a video illustrating the history of Mount Rainier plays on three sides of the elevator walls. It’s a far cry from “Let’s all go to the lobby and get ourselves a treat.” You’ll have to sit through the same movie on the way down, but the Columbia Center is planning to show a different one. Hopefully they go with Die Hard or something.
What’s different at the top? Not the view, which expanded from 270 degrees to 360 in 2013, giving you a beautiful 902-foot-high panorama of Seattle’s endless construction. What is new are the touch-screens at different vantage points that highlight what you’re looking at like a pedantic friend, as well as an updated menu with local beers and Northwest-inspired bites. There are also new displays, which offer tips on taking photos through the pesky glass. So if you happen to leave the observatory with a bad picture, that’s all your fault.
Like a movie theater, the Sky View Observatory no longer allows outside food to be brought up top. But you could probably sneak up something from the food court if you’re smooth, or eat it at the bottom to get your strength for the tough ascent.
Columbia Center opened in 1985
Developed by billionaire Martin Selig and designed by Washington architect Chester L. Lindsey, the Columbia Center began construction in 1982 and was completed in 1985. The 1.5 million square foot skyscraper features 8,800 windows, 2,100 hydronic heat pumps, 48 elevators, six escalators, and a gift shop.
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With the Space Needle makeover, the Columbia Center renovations, and the 2016 Smith Tower revamp, it’s high time for people who want to look down on Seattle.
