Columbia Center, St. James Cathedral, Seattle Great Wheel, KeyArena, and CenturyLink Field are the main candidates that compete for the title of the major architectural symbol of Seattle. Just like in the first part of the guide, you can watch each monument by viewing its colorful 3D model in the Seattle flyover video on the left. Don’t forget to access our photo gallery and an overview of interesting facts regarding every monument. The map of the most important architecture sights of Seattle (located below this guide) will help you to create your own sightseeing tour through Seattle.
Columbia Center, Seattle
Location on the map: 
Facts:
» The construction of the 285-meter skyscraper – the tallest one in the city – took 3 years. 
Facts:» The Federal Aviation Administration didn’t permit the architects to make it higher as it’s located close to the airport.
» Its antenna rises for another 10 meters. 76 levels are occupied by business offices. The total area of halls is 140,000 square meters. Seven underground floors serve as technical rooms and a parking lot.
» The construction of the skyscraper cost $200 million.
» The structure is made of steel and glass. The facade of the Columbia Center is clad in granite. The main part of the building is composed of three arched openings. The arches are connected by an underground passage.
» The 73d floor has a glass observation platform with a view of the surroundings. The 75th and 76th floors are occupied by restaurants, a library, and conference rooms. Each floor can be reached by escalator.
» In 1998, Equity Office Properties spent $404 million to acquire the skyscraper.
» The Columbia Center is used by firefighters. Fully equipped rescue service workers take 1,311 steps reaching the 69th floor.
St. James Cathedral, Seattle
Location on the map: Facts:
» The Catholic cathedral is located in the center of the urban area. Two towers adjoin the building from both sides. They can be seen from afar. Facts:» The construction is over a hundred years old (1907). More than 5,000 parishioners attended the ceremony when the first stone was laid. Vancouver’s episcopal see was moved here.
» Due to the builders’ oversight, after nine years, the roof of the building collapsed under the weight of snow. Outbuildings and a priest’s house were additionally built as part of reconstruction works.
» The colored-glass window openings are preserved in their original form.
» The altar with a picture of Madonna created by a Florentine master should be considered a historical heritage. It is over 500 years old.
» The entrance doors are made of bronze alloy. The scenes from the Bible are painted on them.
» St. James Cathedral keeps the relics of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. The nun is considered the patroness of immigrants.
» There are two active organs in the cathedral. One dates from 1907 and the other one is from 1994. Organ concerts are regularly held here.
» The cathedral is included in the list of city landmarks. The religious building is maintained on the funds provided by educational organizations.
Seattle Great Wheel, Seattle
Location on the map: Facts:
» The amusement ride is considered to be young. It was built in downtown Seattle in June 2012. Facts:» Over $20 million was spent to attract as many tourists as possible and make the waterfront livelier.
» It is expected that about 10 million people will visit it annually.
» The 53-meter Ferris wheel is the largest one on the west coast. It weighs 127 tons. It works all year round.
» 300 extreme lovers can simultaneously go up. 42 slightly darkened cabins can hold everyone who wants a ride. The capsules are closed. In summer, air conditioners save visitors from the heat. In winter, gondolas are heated.
» The Ferris wheel offers a bird’s eye view of local neighborhoods, Elliott Bay, Waterfront Park.
» The wheel smoothly turns three times within each ride. A trip takes 12 minutes. It starts moving a bit slower at the very top giving the opportunity to take a photo.
» In the evening, the wheel is illuminated with thousands of multi-colored lights.
» You can make a freeze-frame against the background of a painted wheel before the ride. Various wheel-themed souvenirs can be bought here.
KeyArena, Seattle
Location on the map: Facts:
» KeyArena at Seattle Center is a multi-purpose sports facility in Seattle. Facts:» The complex is located in the business district and is included in the list of Seattle’s cultural institutions. It was built in 1962. The capacity of the arena is about 18,000 people.
» Basketball team administrations used to rent the arena. It was also designed to be a venue for various entertainments – concerts, ice shows, circus performances, wrestling. All performances were meant to attract as many spectators as possible.
» KeyArena hosted the Dota Championship for three years in a row. Kickboxing tournaments are also often held here. The prize money amounts to $25 million.
» The stadium is chosen over others because the head office of the company organizing such competitions is located next to it.
» According to some reports, KeyArena was demolished in early December 2018. A sports ground for a new NHL team will be constructed here instead. The first League games are scheduled to be held in a renovated building with a larger capacity in 2021-2022.
CenturyLink Field, Seattle
Location on the map: Facts:
» CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose sports complex. It hosts not only sports competitions, but also various cultural events. Facts:» CenturyLink Field was opened in 2002. It cost $430 million. Additional taxes in some areas were introduced to cover the expenses.
» The company responsible for maintaining the stadium spends up to 6 million dollars annually.
» The total area of the complex is 140,000 square meters.
» The upper stands are above the lower ones because of the limited space. The capacity of the stadium is up to 70,000 spectators.
» The shape of the stadium resembles letter U.
» A 13-level tower with a vertical scoreboard rises in the northern part of the sports ground. 3,000 seats for spectators are placed below. A VIP box costs dozens of thousands of dollars. The tickets in the Red Zone Suites are bought by the players themselves for their family members.
» A white roof doesn’t cover the whole of the stadium leaving the playing field open.
» The external concrete walls are orange with a tinge of pink. This palette blends in perfectly with the nearby buildings.
