A conversation pit is an architectural feature incorporating built-in seating into a depressed flooring section within a larger room. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘sunken living room’ and was a popular design style from the 1950s to 1970s across Europe and North America.
Modernist architects Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard used a conversation pit as the centerpiece of the influential Miller House (1958) in Columbus, Indiana, one of the earliest widely publicized applications of the concept. A brilliant red conversation pit (since covered but recently restored) was later incorporated by Saarinen into the 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York.
The architectural feature seems to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance, most notably in luxury homes and villas around the world. I spent last night sifting through Pinterest, Tumblr, and numerous interior design and architecture blogs to compile the compilation below. Enjoy!
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Photo by: Cinemedia / David Marquardt Photography
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Photo by: Playa Vik Jose Ignacio
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Photo by: Novoceram
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Photo by: W Retreat Koh Samui
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Photo Source: Home Designing
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Photo by: GFAB Architects
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Photo by: Shannon McGrath
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Photo by: Jewel of Maui Residence, Hawaii
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Photo Source: Home-Designing
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Photo Source: Indianapolis Museum of Art
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Photo by: Chris Barrett Design
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Photo by: John Robert Nilsson Architects
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Photo by: Amber Flooring
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Photo by: GFAB Architects
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Photograph by Eklund Stockholkm New York
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Photo by: YO! Home
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Photo by: Villa Nilpi
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Photo Source: Mushroom House
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Photo Source: Tiny House Blog
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Photo Source: Google
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Photo Source: Google
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