Photography students from the Western Washington University’s Department of Art have been commissioned to create a permanent installation entitled "Edifice Complex" which turned 17 cameras on 1 million-square-feet of retail space to explore the relationship between fine art and commercial photography.

The intention of the project was to commemorate the history and architecture of the Macy's store on 3rd Avenue in downtown Seattle.

Working with Macy's Visual Manager Pierre Gour, students in WWU's Art 390 photography course taught by Garth Amundson used the historic landmark as a starting point to create 34 large-format black-and-white photographs highlighting the store's façade, its interior spaces and its historic charm. The students were given permission to photograph both inside and outside the store, with the exception of retail employees and customers. Gour then selected images that were relevant to the spirit of the project and the students...