click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
Marin County Civic Center was designed in the '50's by Frank Lloyd Wright.
He called this style of architecture - "organic", and it's an absolutely amazing building! When it was first built a lot of people hated it and called it a waste of taxpayer's money as well as an eyesore, but these days most everyone has come to love it for it's futuristic design. Most local residents call it by it's unofficial name: "The Blue Roof"...
As I was leaving I stopped for one last shot of the "far out" gate (big photo above), and one of the county supervisors stopped to say hello and give me a tip about a vantage point for a sweeping view of the entire building. But of course I know about that spot, and had shot it earlier -- but I was amazed that such an important man would stop and strike up a conversation with such a knave like me. For sure -- he's going to get my vote in the next election...
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3 comments:
great snapper.
ill have to take Plug2 there, shes in love with FLWs work.
where is the secret vantage point??
Hi Plugl,
Cool, you guys are going to love the place... Right now they have on display old newspaper clippings and front pages of the controversy that developed during planning and construction... Man, were people ever mad -- the general feeling of the constabulatory was that they needed schoolhouses, not some out-of-this-world overpriced showpiece. Of course the Civic Center has been expanded with the north wing to almost three times the original size, and then they built the concert and exhibit halls down the road, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the new underground jail, of which you can only see a portion sticking out of the ground...
The secret vantage point isn't all that secret, but go up to the fourth level on the south end, but there are equally good views throughout the building...
The place simply blows my mind every time I go in there... The patio up by the spire is a great place to snap fireworks on the Fourth of July... See you there...
You know, having to go to that building to actually "do business" a few times (filing stuff, arguing tickets, ahem... etc.) may have ruined it for me. ;)
Seriously, I didn't come to really appreciate FLW until my visit Taliesin West (I believe) near Scottsdale, Arizona. Clearly, FLW was some kind of genius.
By the way, Don, your archived shots of the Marin County Civic Center are incredible. I've been to that building many times, and have *never* seen it that way.
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