Native Americans in Seattle

I totally forgot to post these when I got home from Seattle because I was so busy.

These faces are on the Cobb Building which is now remodeled apartments. The building is on 4th Street, but I took the pictures from right outside the Rock Bottom Brewery on 5th. (That's the same location I photographed, and filmed this building sitting over top of me a couple of years ago.)

Favorite Architectural Element of All Time

I am going back to Seattle this week, so I have been going through old pictures and have been reminded of the Walrus, which is still my favorite element after all these years!

Cow Heads!

I was walking in Seattle this summer. I looked up and saw cows looking down at me.

Seattle is full of these fun random architectural treats!

Banana Republic Building, Downtown Seattle.

Church in the Round

I thought this was an interesting Church. Building in the round is more expensive, which is why we don't see a lot of round buildings. The details on this building also make it look like a chunky doily. It's definitely not delicate, but interesting nonetheless.

Downtown Seattle, WA

The Original Logo Is Better!

Low key signage on the original Starbucks Store...



...neon and blackboard signs in the store, and...



...the plaque to signify that it is the original Starbucks.


I am not a huge Starbucks fan, so this was not really a pilgrimage for me. It did make me appreciate Starbucks more when I saw their original logo. It seemed a lot more local and fun than their current one, which has been neutered for corporate worldwide marketability. It was also a fun visit becuase the people who took the orders threw the cups across the counter to the baristas who were catching them one handed. The entertainment was a necessity though because we had to stand in line quite a while in the tiny store crammed in with a lot of people.

Pike Place Market, Downtown Seattle, Washington

The Space Needle as Jellyfish

I really think that the Space Needle looks like a jellyfish from below.

Seattle, Washington

Alternative Views of the Space Needle

The Necessary Comprehensive View

Everyone is familiar with this view of Seattle. The picture was taken from a little park up in the Queen Anne neighborhood, which is one of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods. It's very cute and has a lot of character.

Lion In Seattle

Overall I liked the decoration around this door, but I thought the lion was a bit chuncky, and ornate. I like the ornate part, but not the chunky...

Occidental Avenue, Seattle, Washington.

It Looks Like It Will Topple Over...

I was quite shocked when I looked up and saw this building towering over my head because the base of the building is about 2/3's the size of the top of the building. I don't think I could adequately capture that with my still camera, so check out the video below to see how the building juts out at the top and is much smaller on the bottom.




This is Rainier Tower, which is in Rainier Square (5th Avenue) in Downtown Seattle, Washington.

Benevolent Protector?

I really do not get the feeling of a benevolent protector from this face. More like a jealous angry devil. I think it is a strange mixture of texture and form and lack thereof on the disk and the building itself. Interesting architectural element nonetheless.

Banana Republic building downtown, Seattle, Washington

Safeco Field

I would have to say this is my third favorite baseball stadium. Behind Miller Park, and Comerica Park, but I think I'm biased a little bit. This is a really nice park.

Safeco Field, Settle, Washington

Baseball Themed Decor

Does anyone have a baseball bat chandelier as part of their decor? Safeco Field does.

Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington

Wonderful Theatre

Look at the ornate detail! It was quite remarkable.

On 5th Street, Seattle, Washington.

Sara Bareilles at The Showbox

I know this isn't a picture of an architectural element. It is a picture of Sara Bareilles performing at The Showbox in Seattle. I highly recommend seeing a show there. Because of the way it is set up it is possible to see the performers no matter where you are sitting. I don't think I have ever been to this type of venue (one that does not have rows of seats) that is architecturally organized so everyone can see so well.

The only problem with it is that it is so big and spread out when you have someone performing who is not very well known yet such as Sara Bareilles everyone in the back is talking and laughing with their drinks. Usually with a more intimate venue people realize how rude they are being when they are loud.

The Showbox, First and Pike Streets, Seattle, Washington

My Favorite Element of All Time!

I would have to say this is the best architectural element that I have ever seen. I saw the walruses on my cab ride from the airport, and I knew right away I needed to walk wherever this building was to see it more closely. (No one ever told me that Seattle was sooooo hilly though.) I think it's hilarious and really interesting to have them on a building.

Does anyone out there know if a walrus has any symbolism? I'm interested why anyone would put them onto a building's exterior.

This building is on the corner of 3rd and Cherry in Seattle, Washington.

Of Strange Shapes and Reflections

The public library in Seattle is one of the most interesting buildings I have seen shape-wise and reflection-wise. It looks really cool when there are cabs and other colored cars driving down the street because everything is reflected all the way at the top of the building. It was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.

Here is a description about it from the website:
"His 11-floor, 362,987-square-foot library, a dazzling avant-garde symphony of glass and form, has many innovative features, including:

A "Books Spiral" that displays the entire non-fiction collection in a continuous run;
A towering "living room" along Fifth Avenue that reaches 50 feet in height;
A distinctive diamond-shaped exterior skin of glass and steel.

The new Central Library's unorthodox shape, unlike any other building in Seattle, is the result of its use of five platform areas to reflect different aspects of the library's program; its form indeed follows its function. It includes a 275-seat auditorium and parking for 143 vehicles." [Seattle Library History]

It's at the corner of 5th and Madison in Seattle, Washingon.