Marin Civic Center
N 37° 59.821 W 122° 31.838
10S E 541210 N 4205587
Why is it that many of Wright's secular buildings have "steeples" while most of his churches do not?
This was Wright's first and only government commission...
Waymark Code: WMH1P
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2006
Views: 69
The Frank Lloyd Wright designed Marin County Civic Center, is a national and state designated historic landmark. The Marin County Civic Center, Wright's 770th commission, is one of the last and among the most important works by this internationally acclaimed architect who has been described as "one of the most creative architectural geniuses of all time" and "the most original architect the United States has ever produced". Frank Lloyd Wright died April 9, 1959, at the age of 92, and did not see his vision completed. Taliesin Senior Architect Wesley Peters and San Francisco Bay Area Taliesin Architect Aaron Green directed the completion.
The complex consists of two long wings whose low, wide, ground-level arches span the landscape. One the Administration building, the other the Hall of Justice, come together at an eighty-foot diameter dome over the county library. Originally the roof was going to be gold to blend in to the burnished hillsides, but the finish of the day would not hold its intensity on an exterior surface. A brilliant blue was selected as an alternative that merges with the sky and gold was used extensively in the exterior ornamentation.
I had the occasion to attend a business meeting here today. I did not get a tour, but it was a treat to take some interior photographs in the atrium. Docent led tours are available every Wednesday at 10:30 am. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours, $5 per person. Meet at the Gift Shop, Rm. 233. No reservation are needed. Tours for groups of 10 or more are by appointment, 415/499-7009.
Construction photos are posted by permission of the Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library. Visit their Web site for more images at: www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/lb/main/crm/wright.html
Year Completed: 1962
Commissioned By: Marin County
Nearest City or Town: San Rafael, CA
Public/Private: Public
Tours Available?: yes
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
There are no specific visit requirements, however telling about your visit is strongly encouraged. Additional photos of the building or house to add to the gallery are also nice, but not required. Pictures with a GPS or you in them is highly discouraged.