Drivers and pedestrians along 15th Avenue NW may have noticed a new addition on top of the Ballard Realty (1700 NW Market St) building: a large sphere modeled after the Bubbleator from the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.
The replica was designed and built by Ballard Realty owner Ray Poletti, who said the project was years in the making.
“When I’m up there working on it, people ask me, ‘Is that a soccer ball?'” Poletti said. “I get all kinds of questions. You’ll just have to wait and see,” he told them.
Poletti said the idea came after researching Seattle history.
“I was doing property research that led me to the old Hat ‘n’ Boots gas station. That led to the Bubbleator,” he said. “I remember it as a teenager. I remember it vividly. I thought, ‘Gosh, this is really interesting.'”
He said his interest grew as he learned more about the structure.
“I learned about it, one thing led to another, and I really was enthralled with the structure,” Poletti said. “Could I build this thing?”
According to Poletti, the project took four years of planning and one year of construction. He said the final piece of plexiglass was installed just this week.
Poletti said the Ballard Realty building was the natural home for the replica.
“Where else? I can’t really put it anywhere else,” he said. “I like the structure. It’s really interesting and an eye-catcher. I thought I could put it up there because it was an elevator, and most importantly, it got exposure. People driving by could see it. It’s visible on a low building. People driving by can say, ‘What’s that?’ I thought it would be a cool idea to show people part of Seattle years and years ago.”
He expects it to remain in place permanently.
“It’s a forever thing,” Poletti said. “Unless someone wants to get rid of it. It’s a permanent structure.”
Poletti said the public response has been overwhelmingly curious, with people frequently stopping to ask about it.
“Some people know what it is,” he said. “One woman was so excited. She said, ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this.’ People just really love the idea. It has history. It’s not just a rocket on top of a building; it has some history.”
He said he plans to install a sign explaining the Bubbleator’s history so people walking by can learn more about it.
For Poletti, one of the most fascinating aspects of the project is the engineering behind the original design.
“How it had to go together to give it roundness, the bending of the metal, the curvature of the glass—it’s quite an interesting structure,” he said. “If you look at the structure, in the very middle it’s straight up. No metal goes across it. It’s all triangulated. So when you’re sitting in it, it makes you feel like you’re in a bubble. It’s a weird sensation, but it’s real. That was the whole idea.”
Although many people have expressed interest in going inside, Poletti said that won’t generally be possible.
“I can’t let people in there,” he said, citing the steep stairwell and safety concerns. “Mostly I hope people can see and observe it.”
Featured photo by Ray Polleti