Conversation pit
History:
– Saarinen and Girard used a conversation pit in the Miller House in 1958.
– A red conversation pit was incorporated into the TWA Flight Center in 1962.
– Paul Rudolph included a conversation pit in the 1955 Cohen House.
– Bruce Goff designed houses with conversation pits starting in the 1920s.
– Many conversation pits have been filled in during renovations.
Influences:
– The concept of conversation pits influenced the popularity of sunken living rooms.
– TV shows like the Dick Van Dyke Show featured sunken living rooms.
– In the late 1990s, conversation pits were offered in home plans for informal spaces.
– Mad Men Season 5 in 2012 showcased a conversation pit.
– The show led to a reappreciation of mid-century modern design.
See also:
– Inglenook, a space with a fireplace similar to a conversation pit.
References:
– Design: Fall of the Pit, Time, February 22, 1963.
– Architects in Wonderland by Lisa Germany, March 1983.
– Conversation Pits and Cul-de-sacs: Dutch Architecture in the 1970s, absolutearts.com, 2007.
– Eero Saarinen: An Architecture of Multiplicity by Antono Roman, 2003.
– Miller House and Garden by Suzanne Stephens, Architectural Record, February 2011.
A conversation pit is an architectural feature that incorporates built-in seating into a depressed section of flooring within a larger room. This area often has a table in the center as well. The seats typically face each other in a centrally focused fashion, bringing the occupants closer together than free-standing tables and chairs normally would. In residential design this proximity facilitates comfortable human conversation, dinner parties, and table top games. Their disadvantages include accidental falls and uncomfortable interactions with those standing above in the main room.
