Electric Carillon

A bell tower down the street from the American Express skyway. A theme of the day. This belongs to the St. Olaf Catholic Church.  As far as I know, it is the only church proper on the skyway system.

The existential scale of urban life. Smoke em if you got em.

Solitary smoker framed by the Baker facade in strong April sunshine, seen from the skyway.

Faced stone

These faces adorn the Baker Building facade. They are not individuals. But they aren't blank glass panes, either.

Living on the edge of shadows.

My answer to modernist architecture is this minimalist photo of two people at the edge of shadow. I left the junk in the left side of the frame to liven up the composition a bit. I can't suppress all my humanist tendencies.

Shapes. Shadows. Walking the dog.

Shadows of the old Methodist Church seen from the end of the line skyway.

The end of the skyway, the end of design.

This photo of the IDS tower is taken from the furthest point you can go south on the skyways. It is a bridge to the parking ramp from the Convention Center, around 13th and Marquette. I like the contrast between brick/ivy and mirrored curtain wall. But I have to say, this modernist architecture is not really memorable, is it? Fortunately the fashion has swung away from such severe surfaces as the IDS represents. Not that we will see 50 story brick buildings any time soon.

The world's smallest bell tower?

Belltowers are the theme of the day. This one might be the world's smallest? It inspires something in the man on the bench. He is either lost in devotion, or rehearsing the speech he has to give to the Minnesota High Technology spring conference at the convention center nearby.

Less mystery. More seating.

Few things are as unmysterious as a convention center. But I saw these chairs spotlit by the sun as I passed from one skyway to another through the convention center. Intriguing.

The subject is bells.

Very pretty bell tower seen from the Convention Center skyway. Read the next post for the story.

Belltowers, patience, and gifts

Look very closely or click to enlarge to see the Central Lutheran Church's Belltower rising above the Normandy Inn in the middle ground. They both crown the last leg of the Thrivent skyway, as seen from the 6th floor of the Municipal Government Center parking ramp.
Not strictly skyway related, but...
The belltower was part of the original plans for the church, built in 1928, but funds ran out. The church managed to serve the community for 75 years without its bell tower. Then, anno mirabilus! In 2003 an anonymous donor provided funds to finally build the tower to original specs. The bells were cast by a 250 year-old firm in France, and include a 4800 pound beauty among the 47 total. The tower is 139 feet tall, and the church is located at 333 South Twelfth Street.

Frames within the frame

Alyssa serenely holds court in the Main Street Gallery and Gift Shop, in the skyway arcade of the Investors Building. There is a photo earlier in this blog of the owner, David Yorks with a sign in the window which reads "It is what it is." My wife sent me back to buy the sign, and I had a chance to chat with Alyssa about business on the skyways, the shifting tastes of downtown art purchasers. (They don't buy posters like they used to -- they are going for nice frames and original art) Go to their website and tell them you support art on the skyways. Or stop by and see the real, live art.

Photo of a skyway inside a photo inside the skyway system

This is a picture of a picture of a skyway in the promenade between skyways in the US Trust building.  By Larry Kanfer.  He had a gallery in the skyway a few years back, I believe in the Baker Building, and I always loved his photography. 

Style. Mystery. Event Planning. Tunnels.

Jerry allowed me to take her picture when she determined I wasn't a stalker. She has a mysterious business on the skyway level of Gaviidae. After we talked about the skyways for a bit, she invited me back for a demo of the event-planning software they are promoting. "We like to have a minimalist look, " she said, "It makes people come in and ask questions." I asked questions about the event planning software and am intrigued.  It is one of the more visible and mysterious businesses on the skyway, for sure.

She also told me about the tunnels beneath Seoul, South Korea that have shopping arcades and are connected across the downtown. The holeways? Can you order things from the Hole Earth Catalog?  Sorry, couldn't resist that one.  I want to go there, and I believe Copenhagen has similar arcades that span blocks beneath the city's core.  If a city built skyways and tunnelways, would the streets disappear?

Skyway people

I was snapping pictures of the entry to the Westin when he saw me and said I wanted to take a picture of him. The sign said it was Moses' shoe shine.