This story starts a couple months ago, when I was invited to interview with Microsoft, who flew me out to their headquarters in Seattle for on-site interviews and a tour of their campus. The day before the interviews, I had some free time to explore Seattle, so I decided to take an Uber from my hotel to Pike Place Market, Seattle's famous public farmers' market and home to some of the best clam chowder in the world! On the drive there, I passed many skyscrapers and historic buildings, but none drew my eye as much as the Seattle Central Library. When I saw the imposing steel and glass structure with its angular lines and floating sheets of steel and glass through the car window, I was amazed and incredibly excited by the architecture, and immediately took out my phone and opened Google Maps to find out what the building was. I was amazed that the building was a library: I would have bet it was a concert hall, museum, or some other grand venue and attraction, not a public library. So, naturally, when I saw the Seattle Central Library on the list of project buildings, I jumped at the opportunity to research this building further and learn more about its design roots and its effect on the Seattle community.
So far, my personal experience of the building has been but a fleeting glance from a moving car. Not exactly the best, wouldn't you say? :) However, I'm sure I will visit Seattle again, whether it's for an internship or for vacation, and as soon as I get settled in, I'll head straight for the Central Library to truly experience it firsthand. Who knows, maybe I'll end up in the living room, curled up in one of those comfy chairs and reading a book on architecture!
[1]
Sources:
Story from personal experience. 2015.
[1] "Central Library + Other Seattle Favorites." Stephmodo. Blogger, 23 Feb. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
