Up and Down

I met a group of people on Saturday, to sketch our surroundings 

at Circle Centre Mall and to have lunch. It was good to meet with people

who share a common interest. Passersby would stop to chat

with us about our work, some of whom also enjoy drawing.

I scribble, making sketches in attempts to catch the gestures of the people,

their postures, shapes, and movement; I could care less whether it's

"accurate" in a photographic sense. It's an activity I need 
to practice more often, as one easily gets stale. 

I couldn't resist taking pictures, however. 

The top photo is of the skylight above one of the public areas 

of the mall, a center for people coming 

and going via the escalator.

Iron Lace

I was taking pictures of the brick exterior walls of some buildings 

in downtown Indy. I turned around and looked up to see

what looked like lace trim, adding grace and beauty to the otherwise

dull facade of Circle Centre Mall.

When mall construction was planned nearly twenty

years ago, the Indiana Landmarks Foundation

required that the facades of many old buildings be incorporated 

into the new construction. Over the years the ILF had acquired a number

of the facades, which they saved and stored for future use.

The facade of the old Vajen Exchange block, constructed in 1872, 

was saved from the original structure had stood at 120 North Pennsylvania.

It is one of four structures that add interest, warmth, and variation

to the east exterior of the Mall.

Acne Laughs ...

Ha-ha-ha! Ho-ho-ho!

Downtown Indy was busy this morning.

I first went to the Indiana State Museum which was bustling

with families milling about with kids of various ages.

There was a choir singing Christmas songs, with dutiful

moms and dads in attendance to see their beloved spawn 

sing all the standards at about three-quarters the intended speed.

I finished my shopping there, then went to Circle Centre Mall,

which was also packed with people in various stages

of holiday shopping duress - two weeks out, so still too early

for outright desperation. The dominant group

this weekend was the overwhelming number of teen-age

girls running about, their long, coltish legs sticking

out below little cheer-leading outfits, and their

hair as be-ribboned as any Russian gymnast's.

Apparently, there was a competition being held at the adjacent 

Indiana Convention Center and the girls were biding their time between 

events by wandering the stores with their parents.

Oh, yeah, "acne laughs at soap and water."

Textured Tuesday: L.S. Ayres Building

The L.S. Ayres building, located at the corner of

Washington and Meridian Streets in Indianapolis, is like an

old friend to me. Now an anchor of the Circle Centre Mall, the store

was my first employer when I moved to Indianapolis.
'Though out of business for years, due to being swallowed
up and killed off by big, corporate chains, the
building remains a beloved icon to many people
in the city, myself included.

Sunday morning, I was on my way to another event

inside the mall when I happened to look up at

the building. It was like seeing something for the first time;

yes, I knew all those decorative details were there, but

suddenly, there seemed to be an awful lot

of them in one small area.

And why had I never before seen the way

those bricks are layed at angles, giving the building

surface added dimension and definition? 

Carnage!

The 2012 National Championships for members 

of the National Robotics League were held this weekend 

in Indianapolis. The league focuses on students, 

from middle school through college, and helps them form ties with 

industry groups who not only assist the students with materials to field

competitive teams, but make them aware of career paths available to them.

However, I was still surprised to see the young man above, 14 years old,

driving his high school's 'bot in the competition. Mayhem was involved. 

The arena was strewn with the limbs, parts and shards of metallic

flesh from the little machines, but each driver was focused on the battle,

coolly steering and "strategizing" for some advantage over

the competition.

The bouts, fast and vicious, are held in an enclosed arena made

of metal and plexiglass. They need to be, as sparks flew from the metallic 

hides of the combatants, 'bots were thrown into the roof of the cage, tumbling 

and shedding parts as they hit the arena's walls. They whirred, they growled,

they sawed, cut at and prodded each other. Mercilessly. 

Between bouts, the teams worked on their 'bots, diagnosing 

and repairing damage and shortcomings, all under the supervision 

of an adult coach, usually one their teachers from school. 

I was really glad to see several girls among the team members, 

one of whom was proud to be the person assigned to bring

her team's 'bot to the arena for its bout, smiling happily

for her teacher who was taking pictures in the bleachers.

See the shiny bits reflecting off the carapace of the 'bot on the left?

Those are scars, scratches, and gouges received in battle,

often from rivals like the 'bot on the right, which has just been 

upended and, unable to right itself, "shiny scars" won the day.

There is a referee assigned to the ring who retrieves the 'bots.

 He handles them with caution in the form of a long stick, 

which he uses to scoot the little machines 

to their owners, who know its features and weapons.

He then sweeps up stray 'bot parts and cleans 

the arena of metal shards. 

Each 'bot weighs no more than 15 pounds, but

is loaded with electronic gear and weapons that whir

at high speeds, spin at velocities so high you can hear

the spin, as well as the screeching of metal

as the 'bots come into contact with each other.

Sparks fly!

Trophies are awarded!

And the NRL's website is cool, witty and well-designed.

Qwacked Up

Yesterday I strolled away from my usual path to explore the renovations being done to buildings along Washington Street. When I moved to the city in 1978, the Indianapolis downtown area was, if not exactly dead, comatose, bedraggled and drab. Over the years, huge progress has been made to develop and to restore the downtown area to make it more attractive to shoppers, visitors, investors, et cetera.

A large part of this effort has involved saving the older buildings and restoring them for use. In some cases this was not possible, but the buildings' facades were rescued then incorporated into new construction. Among these buildings are the Circle Centre Mall and the Emmis Communications offices on Monument Circle. The result has been eye-pleasing facades that appear to provide a rhythm and texture to what would otherwise be drab walls.

McQuat Building during its restoration in 2010,
 looking like it's wearing a puffy ski jacket

The McQuat Building interests me because it was, in turn, a McDonald's then a Burger Chef when I first was working downtown. For years, it's been vacant, the black metal exoskeleton that covered it becoming increasingly unsightly as the years passed. Recently, it was purchased and restoration efforts have given it a new and beautiful lease on life. Originally built in 1901 by brothers Andrew and William McQuat to house their furnace and tinware business, the new owners plan for the building to be used for retail on the first two floors, with residential apartments in the remaining space. Look at the old girl now! With it's exoskeleton and "puffy jacket" removed, the beautiful lines of its cast-iron facade are once again revealed.

The restored exterior of the McQuat Building
reveals the lines of its original cast-iron facade

The building's simpler lines provide excellent company and counterbalance to its neighbor at 22 East Washington Street, which houses Red's Classic Barber Shop. All around the neighborhood, facades that have long hidden beautiful buildings with ugly attempts to "update" them, are being stripped away. About the only good thing about these coverings is the notion that they may have saved the original surfaces from some of the ravages of smog and chemical pollution.

When the weather cools a bit, I will make another effort to take additional pictures of some of the other buildings. In the mean time ...

Oh, my! They are pretty!

Detail of the building at 22 East Washington Street,
which houses Red's Classic Barber Shop

Oh, yeah, before I forget, the first photo is of the shattered glass in the door of another restoration in process. Could this be a visual interpretation of having "the scales fall from one's eyes?" Once gone, that door will not be missed.