Tag Archives: Seattle

Chihuly Glass lifts my spirits after the election

Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa. Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa. Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa, Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa, Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier

This is my second post about Seattle’s Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum which I had the pleasure of visiting in February of this year. Bright colors like this make me happy and help to transport my spirit to a better place. The metaphor of a boat filled with Chihuly glass couldn’t be more poignant at this time. The word Chihuly starts with chi, which in Chinese culture can be interpreted to mean ‘life force’. Therefore, I’m hopping aboard this little boat full of life force that’s traversing a black sea, taking me to places unknown with a whole lotta faith. And faith is what is needed in light of the recent presidential election here in the states. It left half our country feeling completely  devastated, as well as some countries abroad. We’re in a time of transition and it’s anyones guess where we’ll end up.

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and spent ten years living in the downtown area of Seattle, moving to L A in the mid 90’s. Chihuly has always been part of the local vernacular there. I had clients who owned pieces of his work, and  downtown office buildings have permanent  installations of his blown glass in their lobbies, such as the one below. Plus, there were always frequent gallery openings or museum shows that anyone could attend. It was just one of those things you sorta took for granted. But now that I live in earthquake country, I appreciate his work even more. My own small blown glass collection made from Seattle glass blowers, which I love tremendously,  remains in storage for safety reasons.

Chihuly Glass Installation, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
Chihuly Glass Installation, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier

The other thing that I’m reminded of when I think of my time in Seattle, is how I was perceived as ‘other’.  With my black hair and olive skin, I was constantly asked my ethnicity. Are you Egyptian, Mexican, Persian… I was oddly exotic in those days. Then I moved to Los Angeles and all of that changed. I was stunned and excited at how remarkably diverse the culture here was. It was rather mind blowing to me that people came to this little plot of land from all over the world, to share in the California dream.  At that point, I became much more aware of how white I actually was, and that I was also a minority here in a completely different way. If I were living on the westside, say Santa Monica or Brentwood, then I may have blended in more.  I never gave it much thought, it was just the way LA was… a melting pot of really interesting cultures from all over the world. And now, with my silvery white hair and paler skin,  I  feel like the old  waspy white guy. Wow, how did I get here in 25 quick years.

Romi Cortier with sisters Tami & Tina
Romi Cortier with sisters Tami & Tina

The reason that I bring this up is because most of us in white america never know what it means to be ‘the other’.  For a period of time, I did. I  think that is why so many of my friends here in Los Angeles, as well as my clients at the salon,  feel completely devastated by this election. Some of them truly fear for their safety when they travel outside of our diverse little L A bubble.  Honestly I’d never given white privilege much thought, until I discovered that I’m actually pretty white.  My very handsome fiance is black, which also helped shifted my point of view, opening my eyes to the challenges he and his family have  faced over the years.   For me,  people are people. Color has never been an issue. In fact, I’ve always thought people with darker skin than me were much better looking… maybe it’s the artist in me.  And at my salon,  I’m hearing interesting points of view from my clients who’ve immigrated  from Ireland, England, Iran, Paris  and Armenia. Even though most of them pass for ‘white’,  they’re still concerned at what all of this rhetoric from our new president elect may mean for them.

As a progressive guy, I was very excited about the possibility of a female president, regardless of her baggage. To me, she was the most prepared for the position. I’ve since learned that over half of our country doesn’t feel included in the current american dream, and was willing to shake things up in an unprecedented way.  Since the Donald is a complete wildcard, it’s anyones guess what the next four years will bring.  This forced me to look deep into myself and ask myself what was important for me. It helped me to get clear on my soul purpose once again. Below is what I shared on my facebook page the day after the election.

Today I am a citizen of the world. I renew my commitment to focus on what is beautiful and right in this world, and will do my best not to go down the rabbit hole of fear, hatred and anger. I will continue to celebrate that beautiful piece of art, or a glorious piece of architecture that came from our higher source. I will celebrate man made elements that reflect our better selves, holding us to higher standards born out of our infinite source of creativity. To me, that is being godly, while staying connected to this world in a way that serves us all. #LoveWins

Thank you again for joining me on  this journey of art, architecture, interior design, and anything else I find worthy of sharing with you.  I really appreciate having a forum to think out loud, hopefully bringing a new perspective to things. Besides, beautiful things never go out of style.

Colorgasm at Chihuly Garden and Glass

Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Mille Fiori, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier

There’s so much to Love at Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle, including this massive installation titled Mille Fiori. I was so taken back by this remarkable work of art, that I’ve chosen to do an entire blog post dedicated to this one room of blown glass.

Mille Fiori, Italian for a thousand flowers, is only one of eight interior galleries, as well as multiple exterior gardens that include blown glass objects on this 1.5 acre plot in the heart of Seattle. The pieces above look quite stunning in the absence of daylight, beautifully lit to expose the saturated quality of the glass, as well as their sinewy and amorphous shapes.  Being in this room makes me  feel like I’m standing on the ocean floor a thousand feet below the waters surface,  watching molten lava emerge from the earth as it forms colorful new worlds.

Situated at the foot of the Seattle Space Needle, this extraordinary museum offers both visitors and locals a glimpse into the mind of probably thee most famous artist to ever come out of Tacoma Washington.   As you may know, Chihuly has created notable installations around the globe such as: Chihuly over Venice, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem, Chihuly at the V&A,  and Dale Chihuly objets de vere, at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Palais du Louvre.  This particular museum opened in 2012 and received LEED Silver certification due to the ‘repurposing’ of the existing building for the Exhibition Hall. I’d been hearing about this space for several years and am delighted that I can now cross it off my ‘to do’ list. That said, I have no doubt that I’ll be returning again and again with family members and friends to share the joy of this important space dedicated to one of Seattle’s own.

Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum info here

 

Amazon’s Doppler Tower is on point with vertical texture, rivaling other Seattle Skyscrapers

Olive 8, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Olive 8, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Olive 8, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Olive 8, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Olive 8, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Olive 8, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Premiere on Pine, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Premiere on Pine, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon’s Doppler, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon’s Doppler, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon’s Doppler, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier
Amazon’s Doppler, Seattle, Photo Romi Cortier

On my recent visit to Seattle I couldn’t help but notice  the vertical texture on several of the new skyscrapers, including Amazon’s Doppler Tower. I’d walked out the door of the Westin Hotel looking for a bite to eat, and was completely wowed by what I saw. There’s been so much construction in Seattle since my last visit some five years ago.

What I loved about Amazons Doppler Tower is how the vertical metal bands were mounted perpendicular to the building, shimmering in the light as you walked by. Therefore, the colors changed as you moved past the building like iridescent fish scales. There was an ebb and flow to the tonality of building, looking more red at the top, and yellow orange towards the bottom. I’ve done a ton of research on this tower and can find no reference to the textural surface employed by architectural firm NBBJ. Opened in December of 2015, the three block campus is on track to receive LEED Gold certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).  One of the unseen design concepts that makes this building so efficient is their use of waste heat from nearby data centers at the Westin Hotel.  The system transfers  heat via water piped underground to the Amazon campus, thus heating the buildings. The cooled water is then piped back to the Westin. Oh, and did I mention that have a dog park on top of one of the towers… they do.

Olive 8, a mixed-use building that includes both condos and a Hyatt Hotel, opened in 2009 and was designed to reach LEED Silver certification.  While it’s known as Seattle’s greenest luxury hotel, I love it for those deep blue glass fins lining the buildings exterior. When Seattle is at its grayest, a little reflected blue light can’t be a bad thing.

Premiere on Pine is also Leed Silver certified and boasts 40 stories of downtown luxury living. Built by Weber Thompson it features an exterior design palette that is a tad more traditional with tones of  earthy rust, gray and bronze, designed to compliment the vintage masonry of of the adjacent 1929 Paramount Theater.

I’m so looking forward to my next visit to Seattle. By then Amazon’s Tower II should be complete, and by 2017 their three sphere bio-domes will be the talk of the town. Amazon’s new corporate headquarters are making quite the splash in the Emerald City.

Premier on Pine

Olive 8 Condos 

Olive 8 Hyatt

 

Inside the Seattle Public Library

The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier
The Seattle Public Library, Photo Romi Cortier

Its been open for 12 years and the Seattle Public Library still thrills. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus of the Dutch firm OMA/LMN,  this public space attracts nearly 2 million people annually.

Initially the 11 story structure was hailed as ‘the most important new library to be built in generations, and the most exhilarating‘ as declared by The New Yorker, and it received the 2005 national AIA Honor Award for Architecture. More recently Lawrence Cheek, architecture critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, revisited the library in 2007 and changed his previous high praise for the building calling it ‘profoundly dreary and depressing, cheaply finished or dysfunctional, relentlessly monotonous, badly designed and cheesily detailed‘.  Wow. I find this building to be a refreshing blast of color in a town that can be remarkably drab and dreary, rivaled only by the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum at the foot of the Seattle Space Needle. Having lived in Seattle for over a decade, I know how truly depressing those gray skies can be and how devoid of color the Seattle landscape can be during the winter.  This public space is exactly what Seattle needs, and continues to be a vital resource for the community, especially the increasing homeless population.

One of my favorite features of this building is the translucent metal and glass skin that allows for views of the puget sound and surrounding  buildings. The use of perforated metal within the glass panels act as reflecting agents, reducing the damaging effects of the sun on the interior, while also preventing the building from overheating and becoming a glass terrarium. I also love the bold use of color which makes me think of childhood books and the basic building blocks of learning. And that red hallway! Have you ever seen anything like it? It’s like traveling through an Aorta to the heart of the building.

In 2001 Rem Koolhaas submitted stunning plans to LACMA during their competition to find an architect to ‘re-invision’ the museums discordant sprawling buildings.  At the time, it was to sophisticated for my taste, and I felt like the demolition of all the  existing buildings was a  waste of natural resources, not to mention money,  which I felt could be better spent on arts programs. Now, with their looming choice for a big black blob meant to emulate the La Brea Tarpits meandering over Wilshire boulevard, I’d give anything to have Koolhass reconsidered. Why on earth would LA want a massive black structure to absorb more heat, as global warming heats up our environment. We’re already experiencing 90 degree weather in February! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what a disaster that would be.

My opinions aside, the next time you visit Seattle, be sure to add the Seattle Public Library to your ‘to do’ list, and decide for yourself: dreary and depressing, or fireworks for your pupils?

Hours and Info here.

Art at the Seattle Tacoma Airport

 

Airplane, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
Airplane, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
York Factory A, 1972, By Frank Stella, Photo Romi Cortier
York Factory A, 1972,  Frank Stella, Photo Romi Cortier
Journey Home, 1992, By Larry Kirkland, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
Journey Home, 1992,  Larry Kirkland, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
For A. W., 1988, By Dick Weiss, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
For A. W., 1988, Dick Weiss, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
Corridor, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
Traveling Light, Linda Beaumont, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
Cloudsandclunkers, 2006, Peter Shelton, Photo Romi Cortier
Cloudsandclunkers, 2006, Peter Shelton, Seattle Tacoma Airport,  Photo Romi Cortier
Northwest Garnering, 1992, William Morris, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier
Northwest Garnering, 1992, William Morris, Seattle Tacoma Airport, Photo Romi Cortier

The Seattle Tacoma Airport has an extraordinary art collection. Even if you’re not into art, these remarkable installations are hard to miss. I’ve traveled through a lot of airports over the years, but I don’t recall any so heavily anointed with public art as SeaTac. As a resident of Seattle in the 1980’s, I recall the early building boom of high rises in downtown. If memory serves me correctly, 1% of the construction cost had to be reserved for public art. Therefore, art was everywhere. From hand painted tiles, to lavish blown glass displays in high rise lobbies, art was common place. It’s a such a brilliant way to give back to the community. Happily the trend has continued at the airport.

Imagine dashing through Sea Tac as the sunlight comes streaming through a three story high stained glass piece by Dick Weiss, with blue refracted light streaming everywhere.  I’d hope you’d put down your cell phone for just a few moments and take in it’s beauty. Previously reserved for those visiting Cathedrals such as Notre Dames South Rose Window, circa 1260, these experiences are not common place. During that era, your only opportunity to see such things might be the result of a religious pilgrimage, taking weeks or even months to achieve.  Now, we casually hop on planes from continent to continent, barely thinking twice about our experience… unless something goes horribly wrong, but lets not go there.

Having grown up in the northwest, I immediately recognize many of the cultural practices being celebrated or referenced. Vintage planes suspended from the ceiling must certainly be an homage to Boeing, which helped create a strong middle glass for a major portion of the 20th century. Canoeing dates back to native american times, and is still practiced by many locals on the numerous waterways of Puget Sound. Cloudsandclunkers makes me think of native american basket weavers, Traveling Light makes me think of the logging industry, with it’s overlapping rings of sliced tree trunks, and Northwest Garnering looks like something you might see on the ocean floor. And as I suspected, its artist William Morris began his career at the Pilchuck Glass School and was head gaffer for Dale Chihuly, before studying in Italy with Venetian Masters. Seattleites are notoriously proud of their city, and their artisans.  Even though I’ve been in LA for over 20 years, I still enjoy the blown glass pieces I purchased from Seattle glass artist Phil O’Reilly in the late 80’s.

Next time you’re lucky enough to travel through the Seattle Tacoma airport, I hope you’ll take a little extra time to stroll down corridors that might be out of your way. You never know what hidden gem might be waiting for you.