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photo of The 5th Facade Project

The 5th Facade Project

Seattle, Washington

The 5th Facade Project

Seattle, Washington

  • Design Principal

    Alan Maskin

  • Designer

    Jerome Tryon

The 5th Façade Project is a series of built and conceptual investigations into the neglected top layer of cities: the rooftops. Beginning as a research project, the data then informed a science fiction story written by Alan Maskin called “Welcome to the Fifth Façade.” Taking the form of a mural, a science fiction story, then a graphic novel, and eventually a film, “Welcome to the Fifth Façade” went on to win first place in Blank Space’s 2016 Fairy Tales Competition, the world’s largest architectural ideas contest.

In my work, sometimes a story informs the design of a built project, and sometimes a built project is later turned into a story. Fiction to non‑fiction and back again. Alan Maskin

Team

  • Design Principal

    Alan Maskin

  • Writers

    Gabriela Denise Frank

Awards

2016

Fairy Tales 2016: Architecture Storytelling Competition hosted by Blank Space

Port Townsend Film Festival, Winner, Welcome to the 5th Facade Video

The Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Award for Architectural Representation > Analog

Publications

2022

Killigrew, Rebecca. “Monuments of Culture.” Architecture Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022. Web.

“Monuments of Culture.” Architecture Magazine, Feb./Mar. 2022, 16-17. Print.

2016

“12th Annual Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival 2017.” AmericanTowns, 5 Dec. 2016. Web.

“2016 Best of Design Award for Architectural Representation>Analog: Welcome to the 5th Façade.” The Architect’s Newspaper. 22 Dec. 2016. Web.

Barniskyte, Kristina. “Fiction Brings Architecture Closer to its Users.” Arcspace.com, 16 June 2016. Web.

Capps, Kriston. “A Science-Fiction Fairy Tale Imagines a Dark Future for Seattle.” CityLab, 25 March 2016. Web.

“Fairy Tales 2016 Competition Winner: Olson Kundig.” Decorcus, 28 March 2016. Web.

Kühnlein, Andreas. “Architektur: Projekt, Kulthaus, Radar & Garten.” Architectural Digest Germany, June 2016, 65. Print.

Manitach, Amanda. “Design Fantasy.” City Arts, 22 April 2016. Web.

“Olson Kundig Wins 2016 Blank Space Fairy Tales Competition.” Dexigner, 25 March 2016. Web.

“Olson Kundig Wins 2016 Blank Space ‘Fairy Tales’ Competition.” World Architecture Community, 6 April 2016. Web.

Rhodes, Margaret. “Writing Sci-Fi Could Make Architects Better At Their Jobs.” WIRED, 1 April 2016. Web.

Rosenstock, Ariel. “Olson Kundig’s Winning Story and Artwork From An Architecture-Themed Literary Contest.” The Architect’s Newspaper, 1 April 2016. Web.

Stathaki, Ellie. “Storytelling: Olson Kundig scoops first prize in Fairy Tales competition.” Wallpaper*, 31 March 2016. Web.

Taylor-Hochberg, Amelia. “Editor’s Picks: Favorite Projects.” Archinect. Dec. 2016. Web.

“Welcome to the 5th Façade by Olson Kundig.” Gestalten, 29 March 2016. Web.