When you think of Googie and space age, how much more mid-century futuristic
can you get than the Space Needle and Pacific Science Center in Seattle,
WA? Built for the 1962 World's Fair, this space age monument is a proud reminder
of the mid-century space race era. The color of the Space Needle originally was orange.
These remaining structures from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair depict
a much more optimistic time in America's past. The Space Needle stands tall and the googie structures to the right are still at the Pacific Science Center in Downtown Seattle.
Space Needle
Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio
The Space Needle still looks like the future, even though its first visitors arrived in 1962. Those sweeping legs and the flying saucer shaped top make it instantly recognizable, whether you're approaching Seattle on the freeway or standing underneath wondering how they put the whole thing together.
Built for the Seattle World's Fair, the 605 foot landmark opened April 21, 1962. Its site had previously held a fire station, and construction began with barely a year to spare before the fair. The result became a lasting advertisement for the Space Age optimism that shaped the exposition.
UPDATE: The Space Needle continues welcoming visitors, with its 2018 renovation adding expansive glass viewing areas and The Loupe, a revolving glass floor. Apparently, looking out over Seattle wasn't enough. Now you can look straight down while the floor slowly carries you around. 07-26
Pacific Science Center
Seattle, WA Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio
The Pacific Science Center arches look like something left behind by a particularly imaginative World's Fair. That's exactly what they are. Rising above reflecting pools and white buildings near the Space Needle, they remain one of Seattle's most distinctive architectural sights.
Seattle born architect Minoru Yamasaki designed the complex as the United States Science Pavilion for the 1962 fair. The delicate arches borrowed from Gothic architecture while giving the courtyard a distinctly futuristic appearance. On October 22, 1962, the day after the fair closed, the pavilion reopened as Pacific Science Center.
UPDATE: Pacific Science Center continues offering exhibits and educational programs beneath its familiar arches. More than sixty years later, the complex still captures the fair's enthusiasm for discovery. Fortunately, this piece of the future stayed around long enough to become an important part of Seattle's past. 07-26
Dads (Demolished)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jeff
Raber
The Dad's storefront gave Portland's St. Johns neighborhood a memorable corner landmark. Its rounded entrance and streamlined appearance made the building worth examining before you even considered stopping for food or a drink. It looked like a place with plenty of stories behind the windows.
The property had a longer history as the Central Hotel building, later housing several businesses and taverns. After the Dad's years, it became Brad's and eventually carried the Central Hotel name again. That last restaurant and bar operated from 2012 until 2015, despite no longer offering hotel rooms.
UPDATE: The old building was demolished in 2018, so it did not survive as a restored storefront. Redevelopment plans replaced the prospect of another tavern revival. Unfortunately, the distinctive corner shown here belongs to an earlier chapter of St. Johns rather than its present streetscape. 07-26
Blustery's Burgers (Closed)
Vantage, WA Photo courtesy Joel Davis-Aldridge
The Blustery's Burgers building in Vantage had the kind of shape that made you look twice before reading the sign. Its rounded roof and broad windows suggested a classic roadside food stop, planted near the Columbia River where the business name seemed particularly appropriate.
The building originally housed an A&W Root Beer stand. Later alterations expanded the dining area and changed its distinctive roof, but enough of the original form remained to catch the eye. As Blustery's, it became a familiar burger and milkshake stop for travelers crossing central Washington.
UPDATE: Blustery's has been reported closed, but the claimed 2025 reopening as The Ranch could not be verified. The former A&W connection gives the building a more specific roadside history than its unusual shape alone suggests. Its latest operating status remains to be confirmed. 07-26
Dads (Demolished)
Blustery's Burgers (Closed)
