SkyCity
Defunct restaurant and bar in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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, United States.[3][4]
| SkyCity | |
|---|---|
SkyCity during a service in 2006 | |
 Interactive map of SkyCity | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1962 |
| Closed | 2017 |
| Owner | Space Needle Corporation |
| Head chef | Jeff Maxfield |
| Food type | Fine dining, Pacific Northwest cuisine, new American cuisine |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Location | Space Needle 400 Broad Street Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Reservations | Yes |
Description and history
The restaurant featured a 14-foot-deep (4.3 m) carousel (or ring-shaped) dining floor on which sat patrons' tables, chairs, and dining booths. Its floor revolved on a track and wheel system weighing roughly 125 tons, moving at a rate of one revolution every 47 minutes. It was the oldest operating revolving restaurant in the world at the time of its closure.[5][6] Due to the balance and precision of its design, the floor's rotation is accomplished using just a single 1½-horsepower motor.[7]
The restaurant was designed by John Graham & Company and styled after the La Ronde they had built atop the Ala Moana Center in 1961.[8] SkyCity was a fine dining restaurant with a casual dress code and served Pacific Northwest cuisine and new American cuisine, providing local seafood, steak, chicken and vegetarian items among others.[5][9][10][11][12]
The restaurant was closed in September 2017 for the $100 million "The Century Project" renovation at the Space Needle, with plans for the dining area to be outfitted with a clear glass floor.[13] The glass floor would 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] It was replaced with the Loupe Lounge, a cocktail lounge that opened in the restaurant's former space on April 9, 2021.[16]