Albany, NY Sketching

I attended a conference in Albany, NY this week. The city is amazing. The collection of architecture in downtown is a living museum of styles and scales: from monumental government buildings to pedestrian brownstones and storefronts - all within comfortable walking distance. Taking little excursions between conference talks, I explored bits of the city.

The first one documents the collage of signage projecting, clinging and hanging outside of Lodge's, Albany's oldest store. The seam of the book plays as corner/edge to the building.

The second sketch is the view from my hotel room window. In the foreground is the (relatively) recently renovated St. Peter's Church. Directly behind it is the NY state Capitol building undergoing a facade restoration. To the right of the crane is H.H. Richardson's City hall. To the left the tall linear tower is Corning tower. At it's base in the distance is the Cathedral.

The final pages of this little sojourn is an analysis of the "Million Dollar Stair" in the state capitol Building. Designed by H.H. Richardson, this stair connects four floors with 139 steps through some of the most Piranessian style arches and columns. The scale is monumental in size, but personal in detail. AmAzing!

The sketch on the left is a partial section attempting to figure out the spatial interchanges between the levels. Partial plans parrallel the section on the right of the page (and the steps are counted in between)

The sketch on the right attempts to be an experiential perspective through the diagonal of the space...but seriously, nothing can capture that experience! Worth a visit and climb if ever in Albany! Cheers!