There is an outside area around the perimeter, and the inside lounge with bar is definitely old-world even the elevator is fun! To enjoy great 360-degree views of Seattle without paying the elaborate Space Needle fees. The tower's 35th floor also has the well known Chinese Room with its carved wood, porcelain ceiling, and elaborate Chinese wooden furniture. Smith Tower remains a sentimental favorite, however, and the views from the small Observation Deck is sweeping, taking in all four directions: waterfront, Pioneer Square, the mountains surrounding Seattle, etc. The distinction was gradually diluted until in 1962, its last remaining title – that of the tallest building in Seattle – was taken by the Space Needle. When it was completed in 1914, this was the tallest building outside New York. Goaded by the plans of a business rival, he then plotted the 42-story Smith Tower. Already wealthy from the sale of his gun company (later Smith & Wesson) and then his revolutionary new typewriter (later to be Smith Corona), Smith promptly bought several blocks around Main Street and 1st Avenue. A custom-designed and -fabricated luminary by Electric Coffin is suspended in the center of the space.At the end of the 19th century, an inventor named Lyman Cornelius Smith arrived in Seattle. The low profile and bright finishes complement the space without distracting from the overall volume. The team replaced the entire kitchen with two low counters that include undercounter refrigerator and freezer drawers, upgraded appliances, and bar seating for social gathering. The pyramidal second floor houses the primary living functions, a combination kitchen-dining-living area, topped by stairs and a catwalk to the lantern room, which features a glass and steel ball at the very top of the building. Window seats, set within window openings, were upgraded, and fitted with access to additional storage and mechanical systems. A central core of oak casework houses closet space and an upgraded bathroom, including a water closet with frosted glass doors, an oak vanity, and a walk-in shower. The bedroom suite occupies the L-shaped perimeter of the entry floor. Small, triangular-shaped windows punctuate the perimeter walls of both floors, granting 360-degree views of the Olympics, Elliott Bay, and the city of Seattle. LED strip lighting along the perimeter of the space provide a wash of soft light along the canted walls. Exposed exterior concrete walls and ceilings were painted white to reflect light and stand in contrast to the rich finishes of the new interior walls. All new design elements-including wall panels, shower glass, and railings-are modular for ease of installation. Flooring throughout was upgraded to stained engineered oak planks, with a moat of polished black pebbles filling in the irregular space between the new floor and the undulating perimeter of the existing structure. A rich yet simple material palette consists of stained oak wall panels, blackened steel guardrails and light switch towers, and warm grey quartz counters and tile. A large pivot door provides separation for the bedroom suite, as desired. The design opens up the floor plan so all spaces within the uniquely-shaped volume can flow together. Originally housing the building’s water tank and converted into a makeshift apartment in the 70s, this latest conversion updates the space into a luxurious penthouse. Today, this iconic figure in the Seattle skyline houses offices and commercial spaces topped by an observation deck on the 35th floor, and above that a one-of-a-kind two-story penthouse apartment tucked into the pyramid-shaped peak. No expense was spared in the construction of this ambitious 462-foot building, with interiors finished in rich materials and ornate detailing. Built in 1914, the Smith Tower was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi upon its completion.
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