Seattle’s most iconic piece of architecture—the Space Needle, featured in the opening credits of Grey’s Anatomy and Frasier , and a mainstay in any movie about the city—unveils a new look later this month.

Included in the $100 million renovation (dubbed the Century Project) is an architectural marvel: a glass-floor observation deck that rotates, providing glimpses of Mount Rainier and Elliott Bay within the span of a few minutes, without you even moving your feet. This is a “world’s first,” says Karen Olson, the Space Needle’s Chief Marketing Officer. For the first time, visitors can view gears and motors powering the floor’s rotation.

Seattle-based Olson Kundig’s Alan Maskin and Blair Payson were tapped for the renovation.

And while views from 520 feet in the air were always stunning, there are now few visual obstructions (in other words, 360-degree views). Forty-eight glass panels were added as part of the additional 17,000 square feet. A new circular stairway—glass-floored, with steel and glass supports—allows guests to move among the three levels. New glass open-air barriers with integral glass benches are affixed to the outer Observation Deck. The ultimate selfie? Snapping a shot with your feet seemingly dangling over the Seattle skyline.

Built for the 1962 World’s Fair based on a compilation of designs by Edward E. Carlson, Victor Steinbrueck, John Graham, the structure took only a year to construct—nearly improbable at that time. “The Space Needle represented a feat of engineering, pointing the way toward the future with a sense of optimism and possibility that has come to define the spirit of Seattle,” says Maskin. “The new design echoes the conceptual ambitions of the original design architects from almost 60 years ago, some of which were unachievable due to their condensed timeline and the technological limitations of that era.”

The construction doesn’t stop with phase one. Fresh coats of paint will be applied this summer—overnight, to take advantage of cool evening temps and not disturb visitors—followed by new elevators to whisk guests to the top.

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