A Seattle Expo legacy emerges from the trees

The University of Washington cut down a row of beautiful poplars on campus over the weekend. I love poplars and hated to see that. But as we approach 2009, the centennial year of Seattle's first world's fair, the tree-cutting at least had the benefit of revealing a lovely architectural legacy of the expo.

Behind the trees stands Architecture Hall, the most spectacular of the few buildings that have survived the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition. UW architecture photographer John Stamets documented the tree cutting and took the accompanying photo of the pavilion when it emerged from behind the curtain of greenery.

In 1909, the hall served as a gallery for original art; afterward, it was, among other things, a home for the university's chemistry labs. The tree-cutting shows the pavilion off wonderfully — compare it with a contemporary photo. You can see how well preserved the exterior is by checking out this photo from the expo.

Most of the AYP exposition's pavilions were designed to be temporary structures — many done in that romantic, "white-city" style made famous by the Chicago world's fair of 1893. Architecture Hall looks pretty well preserved for a piece of fair ephemera approaching its 100th birthday.