When the SAM museum vacated its original Volunteer Park facility to move downtown, the building was transformed into the Seattle Asian Art Museum. The goal of the renovation was to make the art and the historic art deco building work better together–to create a harmony of architecture and artifact. Within the galleries, exhibits are collection driven, taking into account the huge variety of objects ranging from small glass and jade bottles to large room-sized screens and sculpture. The architecture and the lighting highlight the understated drama inherent in most of the objects. The design of each room responds to the collection displayed within it, yielding a varied yet coherent experience