Paris Vignettes: Architectural Attractions

The Paris Vignettes series features the inspired work of street photographer William “Bill” O’Such in themed installments

As you meander around Paris, you can become numb to the infinite amount of beautiful architecture. There’s so much, and you can easily miss many welcoming, and sometimes hidden, attractions. Among my favorites are the many stairways as they wind themselves artistically downwards (“escalier Picasso” and “escalier tournant”) towards the ground floor. Another favorite are the passages that link streets, providing a perfect frame for people and boutiques (“pain à la fin” or “dans les passages”), with sun illuminating the beautiful floors through architecturally designed windows (“structure”), and ancient clocks adorning the walls(“il est 15h00”).

Sometimes just looking straight up allows you to see the intricate designs (“detailles au toit”) that you may have easily missed. A simple sideways glance at a building, and you could discover a sundial integrated into the design (“quelle heure est il”). However, my favorite find on this last trip was a visit to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Richelieu site), where you can buy a bundled ticket to see the special exhibit and also wander through the beautiful library, and admire the wonderful places to read and relax (“la bibliothèque”). Those lucky researchers sitting in the middle of this extensive architectural beauty!

My favorite photo? The simple act of looking upwards allowed me to spot this light (“les petites lumieres”).