421 Temple St. & 58 Whitney Ave.

This building’s simple structure lends it a versatility of function. It currently houses two organizations and, in a sense, has two separate identities.

From the Whitney Avenue side, this building is unassuming. The broad, brick, and largely unadorned exterior—in combination with the horizontality of the windows lining its second floor—make the eye of the casual passerby glide right by it. Anyone who takes second glance will appreciate the pleasant retail space of Katahdin Furniture. The first floor’s long and large windows, pressed up against the sidewalk, display shiny toys and kitchenware. This modest showiness helps the building fit in with the neighboring stores: a Dunkin’ Donuts and Katalina’s (a bakery) among others.

From the Temple Street side, this building is bold. A fantastical mural covers the entire brick exterior. The verticality and vivacity of the mural counteract the horizontality of the windows and general shape of the building to create a memorable impression. On this side, the building houses Yale’s Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS). A glassy entrance and bright yellow railing, in combination with the mural, make a fun welcome for the Yale students and faculty and New Haven residents who visit the building. Ironically, the building’s distance from the street (a small parking lot acts as a buffer) in comparison to the neighboring buildings helps it “pop out.”