Olson Apartment (Urban Sanctuary)
- PROJECT ROLES
- Jim Olson, Design Principal
- LOCATION & YEAR
- Seattle, WA, 2008
- PROJECT TYPES
- Houses/Apartments
- Interiors
Project Details
This two-story apartment embodies many of Jim Olson’s ideas about space, architecture, urban living, spirituality and the integration of art into everyday life. The design manipulates space through both physical and illusory means. Despite the close-at-hand city vistas, this relatively small, sparsely furnished space turns inward, balancing outward views with opportunities for internal reflection. Barriers between structural envelope, interior space and art dissolve. A twenty-five-foot-tall lightwell links the two levels, and the ever-changing light effects are a constant reminder of the nature and importance of reflection and contemplation. Originally completed in 1987, it was most recently renovated in 2008.

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