JIM OLSON LEADS DESIGN FOR BASECAMP AT INAUGURAL SEATTLE ART FAIR JULY 30 – AUGUST 2, 2015
SEATTLE, July 20, 2015 – Jim Olson of Seattle-‐based Olson Kundig has been selected to design an architectural pavilion and lounge for the inaugural Seattle Art Fair, taking place from July 30 – August 2, 2015 at CenturyLink Field Event Center. Entitled Basecamp, Olson’s design celebrates the pioneering spirit of the Pacific Northwest, using wood, fabric, and native plantings to evoke the simple elegance of nature and bridge the fair with the surrounding landscape.
A Washington native, Olson’s design for the debut Seattle Art Fair approaches the lounge concept from a unique local perspective. Basecamp explores the physical boundaries of indoors and outdoors, creating an open-‐air space that can be seen and experienced by patrons from both inside and outside the CenturyLink Field Event Center. The resulting lounge will offer VIP Collectors and the public at large a series of comfortable spaces to rest, recharge and gather to reflect on the art fair.
Basecamp visitors will encounter an open-‐air pavilion lined with a variety of evergreens, herbs, flowers and katsuras that reflect the lush greenery of the northwest landscape. As visitors move within the open-‐frame wooden structure, guests will experience the exposed materials employed throughout the space, from stretched red fabric and simple metal tables to custom-‐ designed wooden seating and benches designed by Olson. Olson brings a sense of refinement to these raw materials through scale and proportion, lending a tactile grandeur to the space.
Basecamp is punctuated by three 18-‐foot-‐tall open-‐frame luminous towers, constructed of lumber and red fabric, which evoke a maritime-‐industrial aesthetic with a playful nod to durable outdoor structures such as tents. A central tower separates the VIP and public seating areas while serving as a bar for each. As the sun sets, the red fabric towers become beacons, layering the interior spaces with a warm glow.
Jim Olson notes, “The Seattle Art Fair takes place in mid-‐summer when Seattleites like to head for the woods, water and mountains. Basecamp brings that Northwest love of nature right into the Fair.”
The design of Basecamp is componentized so that each of its parts can be reused, recycled or repurposed following the fair. From the perimeter structure and towers to the benches and seating and plants, Olson’s design honors the precious natural resources that the Pacific Northwest is known for. When the four-‐day fair concludes, the framing will be donated to Sawhorse Revolution, a local non-‐profit carpentry education program. The custom-‐designed benches and seating will be repurposed and the plants will be returned to the nursery for future use.
Though the VIP and public spaces are technically separate, Basecamp is egalitarian in its underpinnings, a space designed to feel open and airy for all. The public entry offers open seating and a series of local food trucks will provide one-‐of-‐a-‐kind edibles from local food trucks. Seattle-‐based independent record label SubPop Records is providing the soundtrack.
The Olson Kundig design team for Basecamp was led by owner and principal Jim Olson, in collaboration with associate Jerry Garcia.
@olsonkundig #basecamp
SHOW INFORMATION
Seattle Art Fair
CenturyLink Field Event Center
800 Occidental Ave S., Seattle WA 98134
Preview
Benefiting Artist Trust
Thursday, July 30, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Fair Hours
Friday, July 31, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 1, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 2, 12 noon – 6 p.m.
About Olson Kundig
Olson Kundig is a Seattle-‐based design practice founded on the ideas that buildings can serve as a bridge between nature, culture and people, and that inspiring surroundings have a positive effect on people’s lives. The firm specializes in new and renovated residential projects, particularly for art collectors; mixed-‐use buildings; academic, cultural and civic projects; museums and exhibit design; places of worship; urban design; and interior design for clients around the globe. For additional information visit www.olsonkundig.com
About Art Market Productions
Art Market Productions produces seven art fairs annually including art on paper New York, Art Market San Francisco, Market Art + Design, Seattle Art Fair, Texas Contemporary, art on paper Miami, and Miami Project. Art Market Productions focuses on creating the highest quality art fair experience by connecting collectors with dealers in the most optimal settings and contexts. Established in 2011 by partners Jeffrey Wainhause and Max Fishko, the company is dedicated to creating distinctive platforms and expanding networks of connection. For more information, visit artmarketproductions.com or seattleartfair.com
Press Contacts
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Hannah Cox (Global) [email protected] O: +44 (0) 20 7420 1718
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