Walking from Darkness Into the Light

I was on campus on this morning, and I seized a few minutes to visit one of my very most favorite buildings. It used to be called the IST Building (IST = Information Sciences and Technologies), but they recently changed its name to Westgate Building. Universities are like that. Buildings may stay a while, but their names sometimes change.

While I have photographed this building often, it seems that only one shot of it has appeared here on blip before. I am sorry about that. There are so many great views to be had of it, so you've been missing out. I do take lots of nature photos, but I am also an absolute fiend for cool architectural shots, both interiors and exteriors.

What I like most about this building are the long walls of windows, which make a fine reflective surface. The building spans Atherton Street, and many people use it to cross from town into gown (as we say). For the prior shot I posted here, I was facing the opposite direction.

One of the things about the prior view that is cool is that the reflections multiply the number of figures upon the landscape. There may be just one in real life, but reflected, they become legion. (Sorta like your worries at 3 in the morning. Something to keep in mind.)

The space in the middle of this building, which you have not seen yet, is full of shapes and light and reflections, and even a few cool tables. When I photograph that part, it brings out my inner Edward Hopper. The windows seem to glow with light. It all turns into magic.

In this particular shot, I was facing the center of campus. There were some construction dudes doing some kind of project at the bottom right of the ramp. On the glass wall to the right there were reflections of green. And in the far left, a lone figure walked away from me: from darkness into light.

The soundtrack: Paul McCartney, Back in the Sunshine Again.