Finding the Front Door

For a long while I've been wondering what this building is used for. 

It is an addition to the NCAA headquarters just to the east, 

but why? Does administrating the national collegiate sports programs

really require so much additional space? As it turned out,

the building is a conference center, a place for the

organization to host its meetings with the member schools.

 I'd always seen it from this side which is, essentially, the back door.

I found this out when I followed the path to the north side

of the building, where I saw a large sweeping 

drive with a canopy over the entrance.

The side of the building is glass-enclosed, but striped horizontally, 

allowing some daylight to enter but providing privacy 

for the people inside. The alternating widths of the stripes

echoed the horizontal at the back of the building, which seem 

to break up the huge expanses of glass that look out

on the White River State Park just beyond.

What I found to be amazing is that I took these pictures 
with my little digital camera, yet the images of the buildings 
came out looking like architectural renderings. Huh.

A Quiet Walk

I was downtown early on Saturday to volunteer for a triathlon. 

I went to the zoo to find the volunteer tent. 

Nuthin'. No one. People were jogging along the Canal and the 

White River Promenade, but not a one wearing

a number. It was gray and humid, which matched my

mood when a zoo security guy told me I'd come on the 

WRONG DAY! Argh! @*&$# and (sh)ucks!

Well, at least I wasn't late.

I'd planned to take pictures, so took them of the buildings and Canal, 

rather than guys in Spandex pants with numbers drawn 

on their upper arms.

All of the photos are of the NCAA Headquarters, located along the canal 

in White River State Park. The size of the building alone 

is proof positive that college athletics is very big business. The top

photo is of an entrance to one of the sections, while the public entrance,

to the Hall of Champions, is shown in the second photo.

That first section was designed by renowned architect, Michael Graves.

The second section, just recently opened, was designed by 

a local firm, Ratio Architects. They also designed a neighboring

building, the Indiana State Museum, which is just on the 

other side of the Canal.

The image below is of the Indiana State Museum, taken at about 

7:30 in the morning, long before people show up en masse

to report for work, visit or, as in my case, 

to volunteer for an event.

About 24 hours early.