Curated by Paula Pintos
AIRPORT • SEATTLE, UNITED STATES
Architects : Graham Baba Architects
Area : 15800 m²
Year : 2019
Photographs : Andrew Pogue, Ross Eckert, Graham Baba Architects
Manufacturers : Arktura, AutoDesk, FabriTRAK®, Caesarstone, Calico Wallpaper, Adobe, Armstrong, Bill Fishel Design Group, Cascade Coil, DaVinci, Ege Atelier, F-Sorb, FilzFelt, Hewn Elements, McGrory Glass, McNeel, Mecho, Trimble Navigation
Textual content description offered by the architects. On the Alaska Airways Flagship Lounge in SeaTac Worldwide Airport, the door is all the time open. Vacationers search lounges as an escape from the nervousness, noise, and commotion of the concourse. Historically, airport lounges catered to this want by emphasizing exclusivity: glossy, business-oriented secure havens that prioritized the wants of a privileged swath of vacationers. Alaska Airways sought to rework the lounge typology by offering a heat, welcoming area the place all friends may discover refuge – to chill out, work, refuel and join – a home-away-from-home with a way of place deeply rooted within the Pacific Northwest. Programmatically, the lounge is conceived in 4 zones: Come In, an approachable entry; Assist Your self, an informal bistro; Take a Breath, a haven for peaceable leisure; and Lower Free, a comfy bar environment. Calmly separated with an array of oak and twisted steel screens, the areas circulation collectively.
Exploration elicits shock and discovery: every area has its personal distinct furnishings, acoustic properties, flooring and ceiling supplies, and light-weight high quality. By offering a spread of experiences, every visitor will discover a place they really feel at dwelling. The entry sequence begins on the concourse degree. A fifty-foot-wide window declares the lounge’s presence and supplies engaging glimpses of the areas inside. Oak frames march alongside the hall, guiding friends to a threshold. A porous transition with a beckoning view of the massive central fire serves as an invite to enter. Concierges greet friends from a gently compressed area that encompasses a sculptural wooden desk and an illuminated topographical display. A wall of twenty-foot tall home windows presents views of the runways, downtown Seattle, the Olympic mountain vary, and Mt. Rainier. Coming into Take a Breath, the noise and bustle of the concourse fade away.
Visitors could take pleasure in views of the runways and the panorama past from varied seating choices, designed for the consolation of each people or teams. Excessive-backed, tufted material banquettes wind by way of the zone, creating semi-private nooks. Customized-designed chaise lounge recliners encourage leisure and contemplation. Lighting ranges are lowered, and sound-absorbing components guarantee auditory consolation. Assist Your self occupies the middle of the lounge and is the center of the venue. A monolithic bistro counter serves as a central platform with food and drinks choices on all sides, spurring dialog with baristas for a taste of Seattle’s espresso store tradition. Leather-based banquettes, movable tables, and stuck counters supply flexibility for households or solo vacationers.
Moments of intimacy are doable inside the 100-seat capability. Lower Free permits friends to unwind and join with fellow vacationers. The oval-shaped, walnut-topped bar serves as a focus, with illuminated “airplane bottles” as a bar again show. Finish-grain oak flooring are dyed to create a “rug” across the bar, blurring the vertical transition into the indigo-dyed bar entrance. Native fabricators created customized components all through the area, reminiscent of the sunshine fixtures that recall jet engines and the recycled cardboard screens on the entry. By showcasing native fabricators and artists, Alaska Airways honors its West Coast heritage and supplies friends with a significant connection to the Seattle area.
