Project Description
The 303-unit Odin Apartments is located in Seattle’s resurgent Ballard neighborhood, a waterside working community influenced by Nordic settlers and the timber and maritime industries. To respond to this historic and cultural context, the building mass floats on a traditional Scandinavian white brick base in contrast with the courtyard’s translucent green hues. Named for the chief god and All-father of Norse mythology, Odin’s Nordic sensibility translates throughout the building. For example, birch trees and expansive windows allow natural light to saturate interiors. The material palette interweaves timber and maritime influences, from the exterior cladding down to the interior finishes. Other dynamic expressions include an etched Viking ship, communal fire pits and lobby lighting emulating the aurora borealis. Odin provides a mid-block connection via a central courtyard with a lush pedestrian mews. The corridor subtly migrates between the structures connecting the adjacent streets, much like the nearby Ballard Locks that connect Puget Sound to Lake Union. The form’s resulting “geode” metaphor enriches the building’s outer shell and inner courtyard elements. Positioning of the geode’s fissure maximizes sun into the courtyard. A dramatic juxtaposition occurs between the enduring hard edge exterior skin contrasting with the delicate and translucent emerald green courtyard surfaces.