That's My World -- Seattle

Before I share my world with you I would like to recognize all the wonderful men and women who have died to protect us and our country. My hope for the future is that we make every effort to find other ways to promote peace and unity -- not just in our country but in the world. The loss of so many young lives was, is and will be a sad testament to all of our worlds.



Once again it's time for you to show Your World! That's My World is hosted by Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise. So click here and join us for the fun and share your world with us.

Seattle is a fascinating city with a fascinating history. For the next few "That's My World" entries I'm going to share some of the interesting, beautiful and intriguing aspects. Today I'm going to share one of my favorite places -- the Seattle Public Library. Hope you enjoy!

Rem Koolhaas OMA
Seattle Public Library
Seattle, Washington



The new Seattle Public Library houses the library's main collection of books, government publications, periodicals, audio visual materials and the technology to access and distribute information from the physical collection online.

The building is divided into eight horizontal layers, each varying in size to fit its function. A structural steel and glass skin unifies the multifaceted form and defines the public spaces in-between.



Situated on a sloping site between 4th and 5th street the new library will have entrances on both street levels.

The entrance level on 4th Street, one of Seattle's main thoroughfares, houses the Children's Library and foreign-language resources.
Rows of escalators lead to the 5th Street "Living Room" lobby located under a 50-foot-high sloping glass wall. The lobby can also be reached directly from a covered walkway than runs the length of the 5th Avenue facade.



The carpeted "Living Room" contains the fiction stacks while non-fiction are located on the "Dewey Ramp"; a four-story ramp that allows people to browse through books in a continuos sequence.
The Reading room, on the top floor, has views of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains.

Koolhaas sees the new library as a custodian of the book, a showcase for new information, a place for thought, discussion and reflection - a dynamic presence.



The fact that the contents of a whole library can be stored on a single chip, or the fact that a single library can now store the digital content of all libraries, together represent potential rethinking: new forms of storage enable the space dedicated to real books to be contained; new forms of reading enhance the aura of the real book.



Our first operation has been the "combining" and consolidation of the apparently ungovernable proliferation of programs and media. By combining like with like, we have identified five platforms, each a programmatic cluster that is architecturally defined and equipped for maximum, dedicated performance. Because each platform is designed for a unique purpose, they are different in size, density, opacity.
The in-between spaces are like trading floors where librarians inform and stimulate, where the interface between the different platforms is organized - spaces for work, interaction, and play. (And reading).

Fun in the Snow!

A friend took pictures of Adam and I. Here we had just discovered the Leif Erikkson statue along with the names of all the Nordic people who have immigrated to Washington. It was a fun morning in spite of being very cold.







Ice in the harbor! Not a sight you see here often -- even in winter time.



Trees in snow overload!




Adam and me again.

My World for Tuesday #6

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Soon after I moved to Seattle I became fascinated by the seaplanes that were always flying overhead, around Seattle and surrounding areas. On my birthday this past August my son, Adam, surprised me and my visiting niece with my hearts desire -- a flight on one of those seaplanes! So, I thought I would share this part of 'my world' with you today.
Here is my niece and I getting ready to board the plane.

These are just various shots that my son took from the window of the plane. I hadn't started using his camera at this time and that's too bad because I had the best seat on the plane -- the co-pilot's seat and I had a better view than anyone!

More random shots. Here, if you click on the photo you can see thevarious depths of the water off shore.

This shot is a park above the harbor near our house. We came here after having lunch at my favorite restaurant. I spend a lot of time here at this lovely, peaceful place.

Above is, of course, the Space Needle near downtown Seattle.

And here is the Seattle skyline. As you can see, we are surrounded by a lot of water -- almost everywhere you look.

My World for Tuesday #3

One of my favorite places to go in Seattle is a place called Pike's Market. You can find almost anything from colorful pepper displays, a great fish market, fruit and vegetable markets, great restaurants. It's historical and grand and lively!

The quality of the products sold here is exceptional and what fun shopping it is! Plus, it has an interesting history and here's a little of that to go with the photos.

Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market, which opened August 17, 1907, is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants. It is also one of Seattle's most popular tourist destinations. Located in Downtown, it occupies over 9 acres (3.6 ha). It is named after its central street, Pike Place, which runs northwest from Pike Street to Virginia Street.
The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill. It has several lower levels below the main level, featuring a variety of unique shops. Antique dealers, comic book sellers, and small family-owned restaurants are joined by one of the few remaining head shops in Seattle. The upper street level features fishmongers, fresh produce stands, and craft stalls operating in the covered arcades. Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades from tables they rent from the Market on a daily basis, in accordance with the Market's mission and founding goal: allowing consumers to "Meet the Producer." The Market is also home to nearly 500 low income residents who live in 8 different buildings throughout the Market. The Market is run by the quasi-government Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA). To read more, click here.
The movie Sleepless in Seattle was actually filmed in Seattle and had scenes that were filmed in the Athenian Cafe. This is where Portland friends of mine and I had lunch when they were here for a visit recently.
Now, if this doesn't make your mouth water, you're in serious trouble!