Designing in-home art galleries with architect Jim Olson

By Jackie Caradonio | October 19, 2016

On display

“An art collection is like a member of the family,” says Jim Olson. “Living with it every day is a very personal and satisfying thing.”

The Seattle-based architect and founder of Olson Kundig has spent more than three decades ensuring that art and life are inextricable, designing private homes for remarkable art collections and their owners. His residential gallery spaces, like his many museum projects, bear little resemblance to traditional institutions: He employs expansive windows and materials such as wood and steel, and he even helps source pieces for display.

For the house featured here, the architect commissioned the renowned artist James Turrell to create a two-story light installation. “I want people to live with art and be comfortable around art,” Olson says, “because art makes every experience richer and more interesting.”

Olson Kundig

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