Space Needle, Seattle

This is the iconic observation tower Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, United States. Originally built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, it has since become an enduring symbol of the city, captivating countless visitors (including me). 

I paid a visit to Seattle and the Space Needle in a winter. It was a cold afternoon but the weather was nice. I still remember the tower, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun against the blue sky. It stood tall and serene, looked even a little unreal. It was a peaceful sight that offered a temporary escape from all the darkness in life.

I went to the top of the tower, and watched one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life.

The gift shop on the first floor has a giant Lego model of the Space Needle, and it's a masterpiece. It's funny that whenever I came up with a Lego idea, I would always find someone else had already done it. But yet I still want to build my own version of Space Needle. This was not possible until recently Lego Ideas changed the rules to raise the element limit from 3,000 to 5,000. And so... there you go! 

This build uses 4,228 bricks. It measures 123 cm (48.4 inches) tall and 28 cm (11.0 inches) wide. The base measures 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 inches).

The model consists of the following parts:

The upper level has both a circular indoor observation deck and a surrounding open-air deck. There are three elevator doors at the center (you can see some "mini minifigures" lining up in front of them, like always), three mini-bars, and seating area. There are stairs connecting the indoor and outdoor decks, though in reality, the outdoor deck is lower than indoor. A conical roof is on the top of the structure.

The lower level features a rotating and transparent floor. There's also mini restaurants built in a very simple manner.

The building technique of the structure's circular shape was heavily inspired by the official Lego set "Captain America's Shield". It's actually a 36-gon, which is close enough to a circle, and also gives the model lots of details.

The central column has a hexagonal cross-section. Three of its sides are equipped with elevators, which can be placed at different heights; the other three sides have the three support columns that outline Space Needle's unique curved shape.

While I didn't go to this level, I Googled that it can be rented for private event? This part has three decks extending outward from between the support columns. To let the elevators pass through the decks, I left an opening between each deck and the central column. 

Various images from the Internet.