{"id":7825,"date":"2026-05-05T17:04:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/?p=7825"},"modified":"2026-05-08T15:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:12:52","slug":"olson-kundig-installs-double-decker-elevators-at-the-seattle-space-needle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/olson-kundig-installs-double-decker-elevators-at-the-seattle-space-needle\/","title":{"rendered":"Olson Kundig installs double-decker elevators at the Seattle Space Needle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-bottom: 15px\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"852\" height=\"852\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"attachment-homepage_article_featured size-homepage_article_featured lazyload\" alt=\"Seattle Space Needle elevators\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/seattle-space-needle-elevators-olson-kundig_dezeen_2364_sq-1-852x852-1.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p>As part of the ongoing renovations to the Space Needle in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/seattle\/\">Seattle<\/a>, American architecture studio <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/olson-kundig-architects\/\">Olson Kundig<\/a> and engineering firm Otis Elevators have installed all-glass, double-decker elevators on the tower&#8217;s exposed core.<span id=\"more-2322258\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The elevator project is a continuation of the years-long Century Project modernisation project at the Space Needle, headed by design lead <a href=\"https:\/\/olsonkundig.com\/\">Olson Kundig<\/a>. It follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2018\/08\/07\/olson-kundig-renovation-space-needle-seattle-revolving-glass-floor\/\">the studio&#8217;s addition of a revolving glass floor in 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2323591\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2323591\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2323591 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Seattle Space Needle elevators\" width=\"2364\" height=\"1772\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/seattle-space-needle-elevators-olson-kundig_dezeen_2364_col_3.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2323591\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olson Kundig and Otis Elevators have completed a double-decker elevator on the Space Needle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Working with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.otis.com\/en\/us\/\">Otis Elevators<\/a> and spacecraft engineers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sonaca.com\/\">Sonaca North America<\/a>, Olson Kundig replaced each of the Space Needle&#8217;s three single-cab elevators with double-cab machines that were informed by original 1960s renderings.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is the most visceral and tactile piece of architecture that either of us will likely get to design,&#8221; said Olson Kundig principals Alan Maskin and Blair Payson.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2323589\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2323589\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2323589 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Seattle Space Needle double decker elevators\" width=\"2364\" height=\"1773\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/seattle-space-needle-elevators-olson-kundig_dezeen_2364_col_5.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2323589\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The design was informed by original drawings by Space Needle architect John Graham &amp; Company<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The new elevators are made up of two stacked cabs. They are each bookended with curved, golden-metal caps and are wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass, which, according to Olson Kundig, &#8220;maintains curved, insulated, distortion-free clarity&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The studio looked at 1960s drawings of the Space Needle by original architect John Graham &amp; Company and found the &#8220;forgotten&#8221; detail of the double-decker elevators.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related-in-article-wrapper\" id=\"recommended-item-single-story\">\n<article class=\"related-in-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2018\/08\/07\/olson-kundig-renovation-space-needle-seattle-revolving-glass-floor\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- Can this image be in the exclude lightbox list? --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"191\" height=\"191\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"excludeLightbox wp-post-image lazyload\" alt=\"Space Needle renovation by Olson Kundig\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/olson-kundig-renovation-space-needle-seattle-usa-revolving-glass-floor-chad-copeland_dezeen_sq-191x191-1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-in-article-text\">\n<h1>Read:<\/h1>\n<h2>Olson Kundig completes major renovation of Seattle&#8217;s Space Needle<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The design was also informed by the team&#8217;s research into elevator history, where they found the double-decker design debuted in the Eiffel Tower during the 1889 World\u2019s Fair, which was capable of carrying 40 seated passengers at 400 feet per minute.<\/p>\n<p>The Space Needle elevators are capable of carrying 46 passengers at 800 feet per minute.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2323587\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2323587\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2323587 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Seattle Space Needle double decker elevators\" width=\"2364\" height=\"1773\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/seattle-space-needle-elevators-olson-kundig_dezeen_2364_col_7.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2323587\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It is North America&#8217;s first all-glass double-decker elevator, according to the team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to the Space Needle team, it is the &#8220;only tower in the world to feature double-deck, all-glass, outdoor elevators&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The machines that power the elevators are typically used in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/tag\/supertall-skyscrapers\/\">supertall skyscrapers<\/a>, as the Space Needle&#8217;s exposed core \u2013 open to elements such as high winds and rain \u2013 proposed engineering complications.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2323594\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2323594\" style=\"width: 2364px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2323594 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Seattle Space Needle elevators\" width=\"2364\" height=\"1773\" data-src=\"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/seattle-space-needle-elevators-olson-kundig_dezeen_2364_col_0.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2323594\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The team will replace all three elevators on the Space Needle with the new cab design<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to Olson Kundig, the project began in earnest in 2019 when it first started collaborating with Otis <span class=\"il\">Elevators<\/span>, Sonaca North America, and Green Facades to develop the elevators.<\/p>\n<p>The team installed one of the three new cabs late last year.<\/p>\n<p>The other two are due to be opened in 2027 and 2028 on the Needle&#8217;s west-facing and south-facing sides, respectively. They will replace single, more encapsulated cabins that transported visitors up and down the tower.<\/p>\n<p>Olson Kundig is known for its mechanical architecture. The studio has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2023\/04\/26\/olson-kundig-maxon-studio-washington-rails\/\">previously completed a moveable studio on rail tracks<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2022\/12\/21\/olson-kundig-caddyshack-austin\/\">a house with cantilevered walkways<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The photography is by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doublespacephoto.com\/\">Younes Bounhar | Doublespace Photography<\/a> courtesy of Olson Kundig\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2026\/05\/05\/olson-kundig-otis-elevators-double-decker-elevators-space-needle\/\">Olson Kundig installs double-decker elevators at the Seattle Space Needle<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\">Dezeen<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of the ongoing renovations to the Space Needle in Seattle, American architecture studio [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7825"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7825"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7834,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7825\/revisions\/7834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}