parking deck

A building whith a primary purpose of providing storage space for automobiles. Its main benefit is providing many more spaces in the same amount of horizontal land area. A common occurrence in urban areas and malls.

My favorite deck belongs to my school. It has a simple layout that makes it impossible to get lost within in, and allows traffic to flow. There is never any opposing traffic since all lanes are one-way only. It also has nice architecture. Alternating open-air and closed walls breathe a surprising amount of life into the building.

There are too many badly designed decks for me to mention. The most glaring problem with these are two-way traffic lanes that back traffic up in all directions when cars are going in or out of a space. These annoy me to no end.

Despite the tension that most people seem to feel in a parking deck - note its frequent usage as a set for scenes of drama or horror in films - I find the ambiance of a parking deck hypnotic.

In the morning, as I arrive at work, I frequently catch myself listening to the acoustic echoes of car doors slamming, somewhere as I walk towards the stairs…

slam, slam… slam... slam, slam, slam…

Over, and under, that sound lies:

the rumble of cars moving on the level(s) above you…

the soft slap of feet as others, off in the shadows, also move towards the exits…

I park on the lowest level of our deck at work. If the weather cooperates and the right combination of humidity and external temperature hits the trapped air down there, you walk out in the fading light of evening to find a cool mist hovering in the dim light of the bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Add that to the sounds above, and - if you let yourself - you may find a that you do possess a subtle sense of wonder.

At least I do.