If you are drawn to spaces that do more than serve a function, spaces that invite us to pause, question, participate, and experience the world differently.
The Athenaeum explores these ideas through a civic space where learning extends beyond the page.
Designed for Seattle, the Athenaeum reimagines the traditional institution as a civic space where learning extends beyond books.
Workshops, galleries, meeting rooms, studios, dining, and public gathering spaces are woven together through a series of interconnected volumes and elevated walkways. The bridges become spaces for encounter, exhibition, and exchange.
The interconnected bridges are carefully integrated with the program at each level.
On the second floor, a bridge connects galleries at either end of the building, transforming circulation into an outdoor gallery experience where visitors move between exhibitions while remaining connected to the landscape.
On the third floor, the connections link meeting rooms with potential office spaces, creating opportunities for collaboration between formal and informal work environments.
On the fourth floor, the bridge connects the restaurant and auditorium, allowing the two public programs to operate as a shared social destination while taking advantage of the building's highest elevation and its views toward Lake Union.
The building's timber façade operates as both a shading device and an experiential layer. Its geometric screens filter sunlight throughout the day, creating an ever-changing play of light and shadow across the galleries, walkways, and interior spaces.
At the heart of the project, spherical reflectors bring daylight deeper into the building, directing natural light toward the gallery spaces below.
Together, the layered façade, reflected daylight, planted terraces, and interconnected bridges transform circulation into an active architectural experience.
Architectural Design by Sara Fernandes
