Q: What was the inspiration for creating a book rather than using a digital medium such as a website or social media account?Ī: Creating a physical book was a key part of why I wanted to do this project. Great material for an architectural photographer! Many Bremerton residents have said the book feels like a time capsule, preserving this strange in between time where the remnants of Bremerton’s last incarnation are still standing, but we can see the next incarnation coming not too far on the horizon. As a result we have a downtown with a ton of beautiful and unique buildings sitting most empty or under utilized. But unlike many cities which saw a renaissance in the past couple decades – Bremerton’s resurgence has been slow in coming. Our downtown was emptied out through the 90s when the mall opened up 20 minutes North – a familiar pattern for many Americans cities. That vibe still permeates 30 years later, unlike in Seattle where the tech boom came in and wiped out most remnants of grunge.īremerton has a compact downtown built mostly from the 1920s-40s with some beautiful examples of Art Deco architecture. In the 90s it was known as a grunge city and people would catch the ferry over from Seattle to see grunge shows. Bremerton is a small city with some really interesting characteristics. Then there was the motivation that came from living in Bremerton. I’ve always been interested in architecture too, and with the whole economy shut down at least architecture was one thing that was still there to photograph. So this project became a way for me to strengthen those areas. These days in any creative field but especially journalism you need some writing and photography chops whether that’s your chosen field or not. I’ve always been mainly a videographer – producing, shooting and editing videos and mini-documentaries for clients in Seattle, with some journalism on the side. Q: Can you dive a little deeper into why you created this book?Ī: I created this project for a few reasons – For one I had all this time during COVID and wanted to develop my multi-disciplinary creative skills. Denser than detached single family housing – but still retaining a human scale Interview with the Author, David Albright A great example of the “missing middle” housing that is quickly disappearing from cities across the country. The curving lines and bright colors of this gyro shop stand in contrast to the more traditional wood construction of the building it’s ostensibly a part of.Ī small, 4-unit apartment building. Right: a structure at Bachmann Park, former site of a “mosquito fleet” ferry dock. Two mid-century modern inspiring buildings built for Kitsap Bank – Left: 607 Pacific Ave built in 1977, Right: 2100 Sheridan Road built in 1979Ī city on the water – Left: the Manette Bridge, which connects the Manette neighborhood to downtown Bremerton, built in 2011. Kitsap Business Center – downtown Bremerton Ominous late 70’s architecture on the edges of downtown Bremerton. The iconic MOTEL sign on the Flagship Inn along Kitsap Way, built in 1966.

Pictures of Bremertonīook Cover for “Urban Bremerton: A Journal of Bremerton’s Built Environment” This book is a further example of David’s effort to capture how cities change and evolve, as evidenced by this video of Seattle’s development boom. For example, the Marina Square development project is still untouched since the first Covid lockdown in Spring 2020. When Covid first hit, David was inspired to photograph Bremerton’s architecture during long walks in isolation, as he could witness first hand how the city is evolving during this challenging period. It’s perhaps an indication of a wider trend that may arise of documenting one’s own neighborhood as Covid persists and people are unable to travel to the bigger metropolitan areas. In fact, this is the first book to focus on Bremerton’s architecture. The book features an interesting, impactful selection of photographs of Bremerton’s architecture. Although there are many architectural photography books about main cities, it’s rarer to find single books devoted to the architecture of smaller towns. Seattle-based video producer and journalist, David Albright, has edited and compiled a selection of photographs, essays and interviews into a book called “ Urban Bremerton: A Journal of Bremerton’s Built Environment.”

Kitsap sun beat blast