Engineering the Space Needle

Engineering the Space Needle — page 1 — CHAPTER CHAPTER ONE ONE 4

Engineering the Space Needle — page 2 — A SEATTLE LANDMARK Every Every day Valeriy Palanchuk clips out onto a narrow sloped ring It is himself into a harness Then he steps known as the halo This metal ledge circles the Space Needle a tower in Seattle Washington It is almost 600 feet 183 m off the ground Palanchuk walks gracefully around it Tourists inside the tower wave to him Palanchuk works at the Space Needle He and other workers brave frightening heights They plant flags on the top They replace the airplane beacon and light bulbs on top of the tower when they burn out All their work keeps the tower safe and ready for visitors The Space Needle attracts visitors from around the globe 5

Engineering the Space Needle — page 3 — It is hard for people in Seattle to remember the city before the Space Needle The landmark is recognized around the world But it had a humble beginning It was inspired by a fair a satellite and a television tower A WORLD’S FAIR In 1955 Washington State lawmakers set up a special committee Its task was to explore the idea of hosting a World’s Fair These fairs are gatherings for people across the globe They showcase new inventions and different cultures Such fairs usually last several months Hosting one is a great honor Edward E Carlson led the committee He knew it was a large project The fair would bring millions of visitors to the state Many would be coming from other countries The fair would have to provide gardens entertainment museums and exhibit halls The committee had to think about many elements It had to pick a host city It also had to pick a theme that would interest people The committee had to find a site 6

Engineering the Space Needle — page 4 — The World’s Fair held in New York City in 1939 featured its own striking architecture to build the fairgrounds It had to figure out how to pay for all this too Critics slowed the process They worried about crowds And no one had come up with an inspiring theme The committee seemed stuck It lacked a clear direction And it had trouble finding money and property 7

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