Over 12 years has passed since I spent a day in the Seattle Public Library. I have been there a number of times since but not with the same sense of exploration or sense of appreciation I experienced the first time.
These images have been locked away and until recently…un-edited for the most part.
This particular trip did not happen at a very happy time of my life and because of that I haven’t really looked at them in earnest. I stumbled upon them over the Christmas holidays and re-discovered a desire to edit them and find a way to show them to you.
The building is simply stunning. The exterior of the building offers a photographer countless opportunities to capture images of reflection, line intersection, glass, steel, and light that seems to come from no where.
The interior is no less amazing. The colours and light, interior line of sight and moderating shadows offer one a chance to see things in so many different ways. It challenges the eye of a photographer to refocus and see past the obvious. This photo essay is a glimpse of my experience and what I saw>
Street view of one of the entrances.
Looking to the sky the angles and lines seem to be endless.
I walked around the building twice before I entered and if it wasn’t for the sheer need to ebb my curiosity for what the interior looked like I’m sure I would have circled the block again. The reflections and constant changing light draws your eye to the hundreds of intersecting lines and textural changes.
Texture, reflections and the odd hint of colour.
So many different looks.
The building was opened in 2004 and was designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus the the Office of Metropolitan Architecture. In 2007 it was voted 108th on the list of Americans’ 150 Favourite Structures in the US. The building also received a national AIA Honor Award for Architecture in 2005.
The design is unique in the sense that it is really a series of platforms that are connected by a continuous walkway also created to mimic the Dewy Decimal System. The spaces are all inter connected and relate to the needs of the users. Each floor within the platforms is discreet and can grow or constrict depending on the content and materials associated with each space.
Inside the shell of the building are the platforms that make up the floors.
I was lucky enough to get into the building early before the swarms of users started to migrate to their various spaces and favourite reading spots. But that being said…as the amount of people grew throughout the morning I still found it somewhat easy to photograph most of the amazing spaces with little to no human element.
Common areas are bright and well used.
The book shelves are for the most part non-conventional and add a distinct contrast to the concrete and colour.
Different angles with ever changing light.
The shadows that are created change by the minute and offer some appealing opportunities.
Very bright colours are prominent throughout the building.
The common spaces share a multitude of colour and light. The architecture allows for some areas to be bright and vibrant while other spaces are more dim and well…soothing.
Unique skylights draw light into all areas of the building.
Shadows…
Repetitive patterns are very easy on the eyes.
The building connects the spaces in many shapes and methods….be it the constant Dewy Decimal ramp for lack of a better term, to the colourful stairs and escalators. It becomes hard at times to focus on just one aspect of the building. I am very confident that if I went into the building on different days when the exterior light was different…I would have a completely different vision of what the building has to offer.
Stairs end and escalators start.
You always know where you are….
The red stairs.
Follow the Dewy Decimal pathway.
Yellow up and down.
Escalating to the light…
One of my favourite areas on the red floor.
Always a line of sight to the exterior light.
I have to say that my favourite part of the building to photograph is definitely the exterior walls. The intersecting lines, repetitive patterns and endless glass have to be seen in person to fully appreciate. I hope at some time in my future I have the opportunity to return to Seattle and give this building another look. The exterior offers up endless angles…and I am a sucker for intersecting lines. Even more so…the building allows for some great translations into monochrome imagery.
The street view is always available.
A self portrait from street level.
This exercise in retrospective editing has proven to be very rewarding. Images that I had long time ignored were once again enjoyable to work on. It serves as a reminder that we as photographers, should always go back and review our archives and mine out images that should see the the light of day. Since this exercise over the holidays I have discovered more images long thought lost and will now strive to edit and share my finds.
Time does truly heal most things that ail you. My photographic journey paused while my real life worked itself out. I feel strongly that we all need to look backwards to move forwards and in this case I am thankful that my camera was more focussed than I was.