Man Ascending a Staircase

I have worked at Penn State for a very long time, and I acquired two degrees along the way. One of the things that I love to do, as a Penn Stater, is to go on campus and walk into buildings I don't have to go into, just to check them out. I'm nosey that way. (Or even nosy, if you prefer.)

I adore architecture and especially interior spaces that are full of interesting light, lines, angles, and reflective surfaces. The Katz law school building has a beautiful library that is like catnip to a girl like me. And the Business building is lots of fun too. Well, Katz building and Business building, step aside: we have a new contender!

I was riding the bus because my husband had taken my car to get it inspected. My Mazda is a 1998 model,;  I've done some of the body work on it myself, and helped with other tasks. That car takes me all over on my little adventures. It's had a few suspension issues. As it grows older, I worry about it passing inspection. But on this day, it did just that. So the cry goes up for ONE MORE YEAR!  :-) Hooray!

I got off the bus downtown and had a nice breakfast. My view out the bus window revealed that Henderson Human Development Building's southern edge was bathed in gorgeous light. So after my breakfast, I walked on over to explore.

I have been in this building at least once before. The southern end of the building where it abuts College Ave. is a beautiful interior space, complete with inviting and interestingly colored and shaped places to sit.

But on this day, there was so much MORE. The morning sun was shining right in and lighting everything up like Christmas! I walked in, and walked up the stairs, and up the stairs, and up the stairs. And then I looked down, took some photos, and then took even more shots as I meandered down those stairs.

A gentleman passed me on the stairs and I waited a few beats after he passed before I turned around and raised my camera. He certainly improved the shot. You may see the man ascending the staircase in the photo above.

There were two young women sitting bathed in the morning light by the windows, and I was glad they were there too. You may see a photo of them, in their glorious light, surrounded by stairwells, in the extras.

My soundtrack song is from R.E.M.'s debut album, Murmur, released in 1983. (Document and Murmur were two of my favorites from the 80s.) So here is REM, with We Walk.

Up the stairs to the landing
Up the stairs into the hall, oh, oh, oh
Take oasis, Marat's bathing
We walk through the wood, we walk
Up the stairs to the landing
Up the stairs into the hall, oh, oh, oh
Take oasis, Marat's bathing