SkyCity

SkyCity, originally known as the Eye of the Needle,[1][2] was a revolving restaurant and bar situated atop the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.[3][4] It featured a 14-foot-deep (4.3 m) carousel (or ring-shaped) dining floor on which sit patrons' tables, chairs, and dining booths. The floor revolves on a track and wheel system, which weighs roughly 125 tons, at a rate of one revolution every 47 minutes. It was the oldest operating revolving restaurant in the world.[5][6]

SkyCity
View inside in 2006
Restaurant information
Established1962
Closed2017 (2017)
Owner(s)Space Needle Corporation
Head chefJeff Maxfield
Food typeFine dining, Pacific Northwest cuisine, new American cuisine
Dress codeCasual
CitySeattle
StateWashington
CountryUnited States
ReservationsYes

The restaurant was designed by John Graham & Company, patterned after the La Ronde they had built atop the Ala Moana Center in 1963.[7] Due to the balance and precision of its design, the floor's rotation is accomplished using just a single 1½-horsepower motor.[8]

SkyCity served Pacific Northwest cuisine and new American cuisine, and provided local seafood, steak, chicken and vegetarian menu items.[5][9][10] It was a fine dining restaurant with a casual dress code.[11][12]

As part of the $100 million "The Century Project" renovations to the Space Needle, SkyCity was closed in September 2017 for outfitting with a clear glass floor.[13] The glass floor will enable diners to view the city below them and also the mechanics that operate the revolving floor.[14] When completed, SkyCity was to have the world's first revolving restaurant with a glass floor.[13][15]

In a 1976 episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, "A Frightened Hound Meets Demons Underground," the Mystery Inc. gang are discussing a newspaper article about a demon who started terrorising Seattle residents, on SkyCity. At the conclusion of the mystery/episode, the gang is back at the restaurant as well.

References
  1. Shannon, R. (2008). Seattle's Historic Restaurants. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4396-4252-8. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  2. Space Needle: Fun Facts
  3. Fraioli, J. (2012). Seattle Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Emerald City. Chef's Table. Lyons Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7627-8706-7. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  4. Randl, C. (2008). Revolving Architecture: A History of Buildings That Rotate, Swivel, and Pivot. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-56898-681-4. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  5. Gunderson, Nick (May 4, 2013). "Food, including that on the Space Needle, soars at Seattle Center". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 18, 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  6. American Heritage of Invention & Technology. American Heritage. 2005. p. 55. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  7. "360° View at the Top of Waikiki". The Tasty Island. November 6, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  8. A Muse News: Sky City
  9. Clement, Bethany Jean (August 9, 2017). "Sorrow at the Space Needle: Dinner at one of Seattle's most expensive restaurants". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  10. "SkyCity's Jeff Maxfield Talks Local Ingredients & Fatherhood". Seattle Magazine. September 25, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  11. Beckley, Barbara (2002). Hispanic Business. Hispanic Business Publications. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  12. "SkyCity at the Space Needle". The Stranger. March 1, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  13. Hallinan, Bridget (October 11, 2017). "Acrophobes, Beware: Seattle's Space Needle Is Getting a Glass Floor". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  14. "Space Needle plans glass floors and thrilling views with $100M renovation (Video and Images)". Puget Sound Business Journal. June 12, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  15. "Space Needle undergoing seismic upgrade starting Tuesday". KING 5. July 18, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.