Today I went to make appointments in person, as my phone calls were not going through. Both were in the “old building”, and it was something else.
First of all, we’re talking about Highland Hospital (Oakland, California) - Wikipedia, though the history is actually given at Alameda Health System - Wikipedia.
The portion I went to today was the original Spanish baroque style building, and I actually wandered to the non-functional “front door” of the original building. It was kinda surreal, particularly because all the doors were painted white and were… hmmm. Non-standard. Like, every door looked weird! Hmmm. Did I get photos of those?
This is the inner courtyard of the hospital, for employees only; I asked when I went in last week if I may eat my lunch there and was told as much. 
I know this photo doesn’t seem odd, because I didn’t show any images from the newer building. But it’s fairly different, suddenly so stark and white and what an old hospital appears in my zeitgeist understanding, which to this day confounds me: did people find this comforting? Am I the odd one, here?
I thought this painting was an interesting choice, but even more so with the weird patch next to it! And let me tell you, it was noticeable because everything else looks impeccable…! What’s up with that?
(Also, do ya’ll recall what Sid saw in the hall in the hospital in Legion… 
)
I took another photo looking behind me, not because it interesting but to demonstrate that I was alone. I had been near people and activity and then I walked into this weird building and no one else was around…
One of the most amazing aspects of this hospital complex is how it turns around on a hill, and is connected at different points by separate elevator banks! It would make a great level for a game, if you needed a real life reason someone has to go long way around stuff, “built on a hill, mate; big ass hill”.
Look at those doors! They are huge! Like in a hospital where they are pushing patients through and yelling codes and stuff! And also white. All of them are white. All of them. For instance…
That is an elevator! Yeah! I was like, what? For some reason, whenever I needed someone to help me they just appeared. So someone came in from the stairwell (which is security locked, so I couldn’t just walk down stairs), and I asked if they know where the elevators were to get to the first floor, and they pointed to the door directly next to us and said, verbatim, “This is the elevator that normally works.” And they just walk off, as I investigated this new door.
I thought our building had a weird elevator… (I’ll make a video of it as well!) Anyhow, that isn’t the best video, but I just wanted to demonstrate this strange fusion of technologies, decades apart.
The second time I was completely lost because of all the white doors and no one being around, suddenly a person emerged from a white slot in the wall, and gave me directions, saying to go to the A01 hall and go to the end, which I did… and found myself in a lobby with no other exit aside from the hall I had I just walked. So I took what I consider a haunting photo that includes my shadow on the ceiling… not inverted…
This very hall had a door where I was able to conclude my business, and so I took another photo showing the doors, which I believe were once the front doors of the original hospital.
More of an “I was here” pic, but I’ve always loved lettering in tiles where the grain flows in a different direction than the surrounding tile.
For reference: Otis Elevator Company
As I was leaving (which meant reversing my route and taking multiple elevators up to leave on the ground floor of the hospital…), I noticed this posted to the elevator wall, and wanted to back up for both practical (to make note of) and archeological purposes.
We are all doomed.
