Understory at Amazon Spheres

To explain the groundbreaking Spheres — part of their Seattle headquarters — Amazon established a free, public visitor center called Understory. The name refers to the lush habitat between the rainforest floor and canopy. We designed this free space to provide a fully immersive, 360-degree experience where visitors can get up close and personal with the science, engineering, and plants behind The Spheres. Surrounding the central media experience is a series of modular exhibits displaying architectural models, materials, hands-on interactives, and a rotating gallery of plants.

This project was the first of its kind for Amazon, and all components were designed to be removable through a standard-sized door, to ensure the space remains open and flexible. The project was the result of a close collaboration between Studio Matthews, Belle & Wissell and Graham Baba Architects.