Ah, get a whiff of that new carpet smell. After years of anticipation, the Seattle Convention Center’s Summit addition opened its doors this week to lots of fanfare.

We were there and summited all five levels of meeting rooms and event spaces covering 570,000+ sqft — 31% larger than its companion Arch building down the block. Thank goodness for escalators.

Here’s what to expect now that we’ve gone from renderings to the real deal.

Having a ball 🎉

Let’s start at the tippy top. Level 5 has a 58,000-sqft ballroom that makes us wish we could plan a cotillion. The tall ceilings feature hanging reclaimed wormwood planks, and a 120 x 60-ft window offers views toward Capitol Hill.

On Level 3, you can access the cocktail party-ready garden terrace that provides more cool sightlines of the city, including the neighboring Paramount Theatre and the historic Camlin hotel. Totally Instagram-worthy.

The partially-covered terrace has 27,000 sqft of space for partying. | Photo by SEAtoday staff

Details, details 🎨

Local artists contributed their work to the space, including two large “welcome sculptures” made by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo of the Squaxin Island Tribe and a photo collage that references the building's former incarnation as a bus depot.

Even the clear glass floor digit "sculptures" have something to see. There are old school cassette tapes from Nirvana, Mother Love Bone, and other bands stacked inside No. 4 and airplane rivets filling up No. 3.

The inside of the fourth floor's glass sign includes some local music shoutouts. | Photo by SEAtoday staff

See for yourself 👀

You can wander the building on a free, self-guided tour today from 1-6 p.m. (with snacks like pizza, sandwiches, and cookies on hand). Be sure to note smaller touches like the plethora of USB outlets and heated benches.

If the inspiration strikes, you can even book space at Summit — there’s a range of prices open to all types of occasions, not just fancy meetings. Epic game of laser tag, anyone?