![242 State Street / Olson Kundig - Windows, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5721/6420/e58e/cebd/1700/0026/newsletter/12065_00_242_State_Street_N64_medium.jpg?1461806099)
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Architects: Olson Kundig
- Area: 2500 ft²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Bruce Damonte, Andria Lo
Text description provided by the architects. Located in downtown Los Altos, the highlight of this 2,500 square foot adaptive re-use project is the introduction of a new façade that enables the circa 1950’s building to morph from an enclosed structure into an environment that invites the community into the space.
![](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5721/649a/e58e/ce9a/9400/003f/newsletter/12065_00_N8_medium.jpg?1461806226)
![](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5721/648d/e58e/ce9a/9400/003e/newsletter/12065_00_N7_medium.jpg?1461806211)
The transformation was achieved by essentially replacing the entire front façade with a double-height, floor-to-ceiling window wall that can be raised or lowered depending upon the needs of the user.
![242 State Street / Olson Kundig - Image 13 of 27](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/532d/b17d/c07a/800d/e500/005b/newsletter/242_State_Street_12065_00_242_State_Street_N55.jpg?1395503475)
The window wall is operated by engaging a pedal—to unlock the safety mechanism— then turning a hand wheel which activates a series of gears and pulleys that opens the sixteen-foot by ten-foot, counterweighted two-thousand pound window wall. When the window wall is closed, visitors to the shop enter through a ten-foot-tall pivot door.
![242 State Street / Olson Kundig - Image 22 of 27](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5721/640e/e58e/ce9a/9400/003c/newsletter/12065_00_242_State_Street_N60_medium.jpg?1461806082)
In addition to the front façade, other changes to the building included raising the roof by half-of-one story to create a better proportioned interior volume, and installing skylights to bring in more natural light. The building most recently served as one of the temporary off-site locations for SF MoMA’s Project Los Altos.
![242 State Street / Olson Kundig - Image 14 of 27](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/532d/b166/c07a/803a/0700/00b1/medium_jpg/242_State_Street_12065_00_242_State_Street_N49.jpg?1395503448)
Beyond the introduction of the window wall, the interior was relatively untouched, leaving the space as flexible as possible for its future tenant.
![242 State Street / Olson Kundig - Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/532d/b1b8/c07a/8099/4700/005e/newsletter/242_State_Street_12065_00_242_State_Street_N63.jpg?1395503534)