Hotel del Coronado

Front area.

Arrival area.

Hotel lobby with holiday decorations.

Antique Elevator.

Elevator door opening.

Inside the elevator, complete with elevator operator. The elevator was retrofitted with modern machinery and controls. The box near the operator's hip still contains the original lever control.

Ice skating on a "frigid" late autumn day (lower 70s).

Courtyard panorama.

The interior is a maze of hallways similar to this one. Though the decor is clean and relatively up-to-date, floors still slope and creak, ceilings are low and are not level. Far from being dark and dingy, as one might expect of such a vintage building, this place is light and airy with natural light streaming in from many directions. This is the original building with all the character that implies.

One of many classic stairwells.

Another panoramic courtyard view.

Overhead view (courtesy of Google Earth)
Note the dunes that spell out "Coronado".

Coronado dunes seen from ground level.

A visit to the Seattle Public Library

Besides being a sculpture in itself, the Seattle Public Library building is actually quite functional. At the time of my visit, snow had been falling for some time, adding an interesting element to the sloping windows.

The boat-like appearance is an artifact of this distorted image.
The building is really square.
(another view)

Escalators provide express access to upper levels.

Book shelves are arranged in a roughly helical space in the core of the building.
The floor ahead slopes upward. Walking once around rises a level.

Huge open windowed spaces characterize the periphery of the building.

Oddly angled window walls offer spectacular views of the city all around.

Snow accumulated in the diamond-shaped windows adds an interesting texture.

Bradbury Building

The Historic Bradbury Building of Los Angeles.
More information [wikipedia]
 

Hsi Lai

Hsi Lai Temple encompasses 15 acres and a floor area of 102,432 square feet. The temple's Ming (1268-1644 C. E.) and Ching (1644-1911 C.E.) dynasty architecture is faithful to the traditional style of buildings, gardens and statuary of traditional ancient Chinese monasteries. The ten-year planning and construction was completed in 1988. Hsi Lai means "coming to the West" and signifies the dedication of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order to spread the teachings of the Buddha to those in the West. The International Buddhist Progress Society, a nonprofit organization, is the chartered name for the temple. The organization's headquarters is in Taiwan.
[Hsi Lai Temple Web Site]


Main Entry Gate


Front Entrance


Guarding the entry way


Large Plaza


Drum on the ceiling


Good Morning, Buddha


Panoramic view of the main plaza with the main shrine at the top of the steps


A small, simple garden behind the main shrine


Roof edge detail


Roof corner detail

Seattle Central Library

The Walt Disney Concert Hall

In the heart of Downtown Los Angeles is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.