Is This the Martian Embassy or the Marin County Civic Center?
Sunday, August 17th, 2008It’s the Marin County Civic Center as designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Check it:
Portions of the science fiction films THX 1138 (1969) and Gattaca (1997) were shot on location in the Marin Center. In addition, the buildings (especially those in the fairgrounds) served as a direct inspiration to those of the planet Naboo in the Star Wars films.
This building is perhaps best known these days as the location of one of the offices of Senator Carole Migden. Here’s what it looks like from above.
As seen from the the 101 freeway from the north. Click to expand.
“The long horizontal buildings gracefully link the crowns of three separate hills. The circular theme is evident throughout the complex. Materials throughout the Civic Center are simple. Floors are custom-colored composition tile. Walkways and stairs are terrazzo, and partitions are sheet rock. The barrel-arched roof is of pre-cast concrete. The roof is a blue that blends with the sky. Walls are sand beige. Basic construction is pre-cast, pre-stressed floor systems with combined steel and concrete vertical supports. Exterior balconies run down the outsides of both buildings. The decorative arches create a sense of rhythm, and are made of cement stucco on metal laths.
“Gold spheres outline the entire interior and exterior rooflines. They create the effect of rhythmic unity and exemplify the Oriental influence Wright displayed in his work. They have been likened to raindrops and called, by some, a string of pearls.
