Winter Solstice on the Pier

December twenty-first brought crisp, starlit clarity to Elliott Bay. As the clock approached four-fifteen on the shortest afternoon of the year, thousands of Seattle citizens, families, and architectural pilgrims gathered along the newly opened timber promenade of Pier 58. The winter solstice sun hung low over the horizon, a glowing golden orb perfectly framed between the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains across the water. Standing at the center of…