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Friday, October 30, 2009

Architecture The Sign of Four

Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 3:47 PM

The week of Lawrence Halprin's timely death is also the week that his famous park, Freeway Park, appears in Police Beat.

What I wrote:

Despite the many dangers of Freeway Park, despite its eerie maziness, I still rate it as the most important and stimulating park in this city. No amount of crime will stop me from loving this strange and often dark place.

The four things that make this city something: Columbia Tower; the movement on the light rail between the ID and Sea-Tac (this will always be the best part of light rail); Downtown Library; and Freeway Park. The first is about urban power; the second, urban motion (even emotion); the third, urban thought; the fourth, urban nature.

The image is from rutlo's photostream.

Comments (10) RSS

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That's a good solid list. When I read of Halprin's death the other day, I thought of the two landmarks I like best about Seattle - Freeway Park and the 520 floating bridge.

Posted by dnt trust me on October 30, 2009 at 4:03 PM

Well put.

Posted by Free Lunch on October 30, 2009 at 4:08 PM

Nothing about the Viaduct and Pike Place Market or the Waterfront?

.... um, ok ....

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 30, 2009 at 4:14 PM

Would the fifth be your completely incorrect use of the semicolon?

Posted by Such an "educated" man you are, Charles. on October 30, 2009 at 4:26 PM

QUIT CALLING EVERYTHING "THE MOST IMPORTANT"! How self-aggrandizing can you get?

Sincerely,
An Anonymous Internet Yahoo

Posted by g on October 30, 2009 at 5:14 PM

Freeway Park is being ruined by the Parks Dept's latest "improvements"

Posted by polkaparty on October 30, 2009 at 8:19 PM

Here's something I wonder.

Is it possible to ride mass transit around Puget Sound (sorry..."Salish Sea") and not have to listen to someone talking about incarceration.

After the Sounders game, it was too rough and tumble girls, talking about their dad's advising them about prison. Gosh, Dad...next time I'll ask them to transfer me there.

Alright, so that was the 150 heading into Kent. Given. But today, at rush hour, 4:30pm, I was on the 2nd deck of the Sounder, trying to use the (non-working) wifi, and again, two Kent Klowns are there talking about -- getting out of jail! Isn't paying the extra buck per fare so that one can insulate one's self from the riff-raff?

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on October 30, 2009 at 8:53 PM

@7. Kent sucks. You're over it.

Posted by JesseJB on October 30, 2009 at 11:26 PM

@7. wow, two incidents doesn't make every time. (btw you wrote "too" instead of "two.) some people struggle and some people end up in jail. "riff-raff" could describe a large percentage of the american population, by your definition. and you think money should insulate you from this? i don't usually buy charles' marxist interpretations but one sure seems applicable here.

Posted by shit happens on October 30, 2009 at 11:40 PM

What's interesting to me about Freeway Park is the way people move through it – you can cruise through quickly and use it as a shortcut, but if you want to stop, there are any number of little enclaves that are worlds into themselves. It represents the aspirations of the city really well.

I might add the reclaimed park by the Duwamish to your list as a representation of urban history.

Honestly the Columbia Ctr is negligible to me because they haven't made an effort to extend the outer aesthetic of the building to its interior.

Posted by Strath