38beams collectors lounge by olson kundig opens at design miami/

for the occasion of design miami/ 2014 – the tenth edition of the prestigious event – seattle-based olson kundig architects were selected to design the show’s collectors lounge. in order to bring a local sensibility to the international fair, the design team, led by principal alan maskin in collaboration with tom kundig, incorporated a range of design elements from creatives originating from the pacific northwest region.

named ’38beams’, the lounge comprises a series of thirty-eight mid-century glue laminated timbers that are stacked to reach a total height of 15 feet (4.5 meters). the glulams, which originate from the douglas fir forests of the northwest, were originally used in the construction of a los angeles building before being salvaged when it was recently torn down.

the lounge comprises a series of thirty-eight mid-century glue laminated timbers

‘the design was inspired by historic images of seattle’s lumber industry where milled lumber was stacked to dry,’ alan maskin told designboom. ‘each beam was measured and we designed the structure with the 38 pieces. we were limited to 38 beams because that is the number of beams that would fit on one truck. the weight limit was exceeded by 100 pounds – so the driver arrived at the weigh station with an empty tank of gas.

‘ever since aqua art fair was sold years ago and became an international art fair, there has been a limited northwest presence during art basel week. we wanted to return the northwest to miami and brought some collaborators from this region into the project.‘

the individual pieces of lumber are stacked to a height of 15 feet

each piece of lumber measures approximately 15×30 inches (38x76cm) in diameter, and stretches to a total length of 30 feet (9.1m). an open lattice work of beams encloses the lounge, which is organized around the perrier-jouët champagne bar – the focal point of the space. after being used as the structural foundation of ’38beams’, the glulams will be incorporated within a future project by studio 804, a university of kansas design-build teaching program that creates affordable buildings in communities of need.

‘I knew from the outset that we wanted to work with our region’s most sustainable resource – wood (specifically douglas fir) – and that our aesthetic would make a strong contrast to what is typical in miami,’ continued maskin. ‘we wanted to create a place of respite within the hyper energy of art basel and design miami/ – a place to rest, drink champagne or coffee and contemplate design.‘

an open lattice work of beams encloses the lounge

within the pavilion, olson kundig designer jamie slagel has contributed three wall mounted lamps of her own design, while lighting specialists LILIENTHAL ZAMORA were commissioned to a custom chandelier for the project, a piece comprised of 100 suspended illuminated tubes.

continuing the lounge’s connection with the pacific northwest, the apparel worn by the hostesses at ’38beams’ is provided by totokaelo – a seattle-based purveyor of fashion, art and design. additional furnishings include four tables designed by tom kundig himself, while music is provided by northwest music label, sub pop records.

the space is organized around the perrier-jouët champagne bar