convention center gothic, pt 1
convention centers are weird places. they're huge, cavernous structures in the middle of cities that feel so empty and strange when they're not full to the brim with people. long, wide hallways with people against the walls sitting or sleeping. outcroppings of antechambers with rows of empty seating for presentations. terrible food courts. they feel like if you clicked the corner of a prison as if it was a jpg and stretched it out big.
having said this, i have a weird relationship with the seattle convention center. my first 4 experiences coming to seattle were to go to a con, and it was definitely a major contributing factor to me wanting to live here somehow. because those cons were always so crowded, i never really had time to appreciate the design of the space: the angular concrete, the flowing foliage, the glass.
it's kind of funny How iconic those features are, especially when looking at older american cosplay photos due to Sakuracon being one of the longer standing Major anime cons. if people are taking photos there, they're probably doing it on those jagged stairs or the courtyard 50 feet away from them.
anyway, i had a friend playing in a magic the gathering pro tour a few years ago and i got on it's guest list, which let me enter the event which was closed off to the general public. this led to me having a Lot of time between rounds to just wander around this mostly empty building on an april friday in 2024 with my digital camera from 2012. i think i confused a lot of the staff.
after this first time, i always imagined doing more of these as a series if i ended up in different convention centers, but it turns out my ass is not really spending a lot of time in convention centers these days.
