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Overview

The five-unit, seven-story Art Stable Condominium, designed by the Seattle architectural firm of Olson Kundig, was completed in 2010. It had a reinforced concrete structure and an exterior faced in Cor-Ten steel. Retail space occupied the small tower's first floor. The building was located on a 4,772-square-foot (0.11-acre) site that was zoned for residential or commercial development.

Building History

The Art Stable was built in the fast-changing Cascade neighborhood, one that saw dramatic development during the growth of Amazon.com in the adjacent South Lake Union district. It occupied the site of a former horse stable. One of the building's most unusual characteristics was its built-in, roof-top crane that could lift heavy objects into each floor's apartments. It was like a pulley system of a barn, used to hoist haybales to an upper loft. Olson Kundig's web site discussed this feature: "Both front and back elevations of the building are active. The alley-facing façade features an 80-foot, 5-inch tall hinge topped by a davit crane and five steel-clad, hand-cranked doors that cover nearly a third of the façade. The system references a warehousing tradition in how it moves oversize objects into the building. On the street side, large hinged windows open to provide natural ventilation throughout the units." (See Olson Kundig.com. "Art Stable," accessed 06/15/2018.)

Tom Kundig has been credited with the Art Stable's design; he collaborated with partner Kirsten Murray. Kevin Kudo-King and Jim Friesz served as project managers. They led other Olson Kundig team members including project architect Jim Ocampo and Ming-Lee Yuan and Kevin Scott.

Building Notes

The building utilized a heat pump to heat and cool the multi-level apartment building. The Olson Kundig web site described the innovative heating/cooling system: "Designed to accommodate changes in use over time, the units are zoned for both residential and commercial use, and the building’s shell and core are built to last over 100 years. Geothermal loops were inserted into the building’s structural piles, resulting in an innovative and highly energy-efficient radiant heating and cooling system. This geothermal system is one of the first of its type to be implemented in the United States." (See Olson Kundig.com. "Art Stable," accessed 06/15/2018.)

The Art Stable won a number of awards. These included: AIA National Honor Awards for Architecture, Honor Award, 2013; Architizer A+ Popular Choice Awards, Finalist, Residential Mid Rise (5-15 floors), 2013; European Centre and Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Awards, International Architecture Award, 2012; AIA National Housing Awards, AIA National Housing Award, 2011; AIA Northwest and Pacific Region Honor Awards, Honor Award, 2011; AIA Seattle Honor Awards, Honor Award, 2011; Residential Architect Design Awards, Project of the Year, 2011; AIA Seattle Honor Awards, Citation, Art Stable Hinge, 2010.