Private but Public

Something I read led me to this website listing private buildings with public spaces.  A few weeks ago I checked out the US Bank Center building.  The Friday group of Urban Sketchers Seattle met there today to sketch.  It has 3 floors of public lobbies with good views out the windows and interesting art inside.   We all agreed it was a great place to sketch, particularly on this chilly and rainy day. 

I didn't know it when we planned this, but one of our members, David Chamness, works in a firm in that building.  And the firm designed the building! 

From my previous scoping visit, I knew exactly what I wanted to sketch first.  This is a cast stone arch restored from the Music Box Theater which had been on this site in 1928.  And, David told me, it is dedicated to Tony Callison, the founder of the firm where David works.   I also liked the juxtaposition of the old and the new... the new being the Starbucks sign (there were four of them in the building!)


I do like these older buildings with intricate decorations.  So my next subject was the end of a building but looking down an alley.  A modern Amazon building is in the background, above.



As usual, we met to share sketches and have a group photo.  David led some of the staff in his office in a sketching lesson over lunch.  He joined us later to see our sketches and show us his 5 (or 10?) minute sketch.