The images were taken from inside of Hotel Congress, which lies at the intersection between two major streets heading into downtown Tucson, Arizona. Although it does provide the basic purposes of a hotel, it has even more personality on the inside. The old-style architecture is inviting, yet also mysterious. It tries to keep the feeling and mood of its history, but many of the styles and objects inside have a modern feel.
From this angle, one’s attention focuses immediately toward the corner of the space as the staircase alters its direction and wraps alongside of the wall. Just below the light, there are two picture frames hung on each wall but they are fairly small. Maybe they serve as random pieces of art with no greater purpose than to hide the plainness of the naked walls that existed before they were placed there. If the public were meant to see and appreciate the art, they would be larger, breathing in the attention of their audience. But the size and appearance of the pieces are not dominant.
The staircase leads my eyes. My focus climbs up the railing of the stairs, until I can’t see any further. This contrasts the open door below the stairs because unlike the space that goes beyond the doorway that I am allowed to see, my vision of the upper level of the hotel is stopped and limited. The lighting of this space divides it. It defines the opposing spaces and captures the curiosity of the public. The area that is meant to have privacy is bright, lit by the small hanging chandelier. Yet the area that is open to the public is dark; why would anyone want to go through the door if it is so dimly lit? It is not inviting and almost as if it is truly “closed”, even though the door is physically open. I am intended to stay on the bottom level since the upstairs is given privacy, but I really want to see what is being kept hidden on the upper floors of the hotel. That is what captures my focus.
Looking at the doorways from the other side of the hotel presents an even more obvious separation of spaces. But this time, not just the privacy or openness of a space. Here, there is division of era. The use of old-fashioned and modern qualities is noticeable in the hotel. But both the modernism and old-fashioned styles are split by a tangible boundary, a wall. Looking through the doorway on the right, there is booth seating and tables built against the wall. The surface of the floor is checkered. Most of the lighting that can be seen is natural lighting that illuminates the walls. This sets a more old-fashioned feeling, like a diner or hometown cafe. This type of seating is relaxed and laid back, which follows the intended mood, set by its “diner-like” appearance. It portrays a homey feeling because the space provides comfortable eating. Through the other door, the feeling is more modern. The seating is not arranged like a restaurant. Instead, there are small round tables, where one would go to relax with a long conversation and a drink. This type of dining is stylish and classy, unlike the relaxed dining in the room next-door. Those who have drinks here are looking to impress with their sophistication. The mood of the space requires maturity because it is where one goes to socialize, rather than for dining only.
The open doors that lead into each space force me to choose. The mood of one room is not felt in the other because the wall blocks it. The wall also divides the purposes of the rooms and the signs next to each doorway establish their “styles”. The sign on the right is old; it is black and white with simple graphics and old-styled font. The other sign has color and is newer; it encompasses the modern feeling of the lobby.
Looking at the back entrance, the light from outside brightens the hotel, unlike the dark, dim lighting throughout the inside. The coffee shop sign next door is not as dominant as the hotel entrance but it is an extension of the hotel. It gives the location a greater purpose than simply a temporary place to sleep. The sign for Hotel Congress that reaches out and expands out of the wall shows that it is the dominant space but the coffee shop gives the people at the hotel something else to do. This space has multiple purposes. It has options.
There are three people standing outside of the hotel; one man is Latino, the other is Caucasian, and the woman is Asian. This displays the hotel’s diversity. The people who come here are diverse and so are the purposes offered by the hotel.
The coffee shop that is connected to the hotel is not a place to get coffee on the run. There are several tables and chairs that suggest it is a place for conversation, somewhere to sit down and enjoy someone’s company with a cup of coffee. There are also several lights: the stringed lights that hang in front of the windows of the coffee shop, the street light to the far right of the photo and the other string of lights that is just barely visible underneath the hotel room windows. This space invites people to it during the night as well. The hotel is more than a center point for travelers; it is a space for interaction, for conversation, for the meeting of diverse people. In the way that the coffee shop is connected and attached to the hotel, the people who stay there are brought together and connected.
An exit from the hotel leads into the streets of Tucson. On the way out, two men say “farewell”. The one on the right raises his glass and grins, as if he is nodding his head in satisfaction. The men give life to the space without needing real people. They give the illusion that people are saying goodbye even though they are only made of paper and paint.
The focus of the photo is directed toward the center of the door, between the two men. The railings open up toward the space but narrow to the door’s edges, directing people right to it. The sign in the center of the door reads “emergency exit”. This space is not supposed to be used, only in the case of emergency. Now, the two men act as distractions whereas before they were details that added to the space. They are only there to hide the space and to disguise its true purpose.
The “emergency exit” sign is the only thing that indicates the door is meant for emergency. Without it, this would be any other door. But the sign doesn't stand out. Most emergency exit signs are large and attention grabbing; there is no doubt where to exit the building. But here, the hotel wants this exit to be covered up, to look like it is not actually there. It blends in with the rest of the space.
Again, the contradicting styles of old and new are present. One man is dressed in English colonial-style clothing but the other is covered with a t-shirt. Even the raised arm of the man in the t-shirt indicates its “age”; it is old and broken down. Yet the man on the right holds his mug firmly in the air; he is cheerful and refreshing unlike his partner. They blend in with the area and maintain the style of the hotel.
As I went through each picture, the captions represented my thoughts. They showed how you could make claims from observations. A claim is an indirect statement of the photo but something has to lead there. Whether it is the colors of the space, the age of the people there or the style of the space’s architecture, there is always a reason that a claim can be made. Visuals are what lead thoughts. The coffee shop next to the hotel led me to think that the space had multiple purposes. The blocked off staircase in the first photo showed that the space was meant to have privacy.
This assignment called for analysis of spaces that demonstrated the process of seeing something and then making indirect assumptions about it. Even obvious observations, such as a crying person leading me to assume the person is sad, are examples of analysis and how people connect what they see to what it makes them think. It is a part of life.
