On 1st October 2024 a one-of-a-kind piano from Italian piano maker Fazioli was installed at the spectacular new First Light Seattle office/apartment building in Washington State, USA.
The piano, known as the First Light Fazioli, was commissioned by the Canadian real estate developer Westbank and forms the centerpiece of the building’s lobby. Estimated to be worth around $750,000, it’s the latest addition to Westbank’s growing collection of Fazioli pianos.
For over 16 years, Westbank has been acquiring Fazioli pianos for its high-end west coast developments. So far the company has commissioned a total of 26 Fazioli instruments, including:
- The Shangri-La Vancouver (2008)
- The Fairmont Pacific Rim (2010)
- The Shangri-La Toronto (2012)
- The Telus Garden (2015)
- The Floating/Flying Fazioli at Vancouver House (2020)
- The Kengo Kuma Fazioli (2022)
- The Butterfly Piano (2022)
- The Cloud Fazioli at Deloite Summit (2022)
Westbank employs some of the world’s leading architects, and they often work with Fazioli when conceiving the various pianos. The First Light Seattle building is designed by architect James K.M. Cheung in collaboration with Seattle-based glass artist John Hogan.
Hogan’s work appears throughout the building including special light sculptures inside every apartment. He also worked closely with Fazioli to create the unique design of the First Light Fazioli piano.
Black is the Colour
This piano is black, very black. In fact, virtually every element of the instrument is matt black — the casework, both inside and out, the frame, the fittings including the castors, the felts, and even the pedals. The Fazioli logo is etched black on black. And the keyboard itself is completely black — black naturals and black sharps and flats! The only non-black elements are the strings, parts of the action, and the piano lid decorations.
And it is that lid, and the effect it generates, that is the focus of the First Light Fazioli’s design. The lid itself is black, but 115 holes have been cut into it, and filled with coloured glass inserts, under the direction of John Hogan.
When light shines through the lid, the piano is lit with this myriad of colours akin to the sun shining through a stained glass window. And it is only then that the full impact of a predominantly black piano becomes apparent. The result is impressive.
As to how easy it is to play a piano with all black keys… here are some comments from two professional pianists who played the instrument at the launch party.
“Playing on the First Light’s ‘black-on-black’ keyboard was an experience where the color nearly faded into the background. Everything about this piano was so hypnotizing—the design, the resonance—that it shifted my focus entirely. At that point, you realize that sound is what matters most, far beyond the need to even look at your fingers. It’s not just visually captivating but also serves as a testament to the bold craftsmanship of Fazioli pianos.”
“I didn’t have any information about the design of the piano in advance. It wasn’t until we were on the way to the unveiling that Manuel [Bernaschek] mentioned to me that the piano is completely black – even the white keys were changed to black. I instantly felt a sickening dread in my stomach and wondered if I would be able to play the piano properly.
“To my surprise, everything went just fine and I was able to play the piano totally normally! In fact, the sound was very impressive in that room with such a high ceiling! It was also cool to see the way the coloured glass reflected beautiful patterns on the wall behind the piano.”
First Light Seattle is located at:
300 Virginia Street
Seattle, WA
web: firstlightseattle.com
Fazioli Representative in Seattle:
Northwest Pianos
13310 Bel-Red Rd #100
Bellevue, WA 98005
web: northwestpianos.com