The Marin County Civic Center, designed by
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
, is located in
San Rafael, California
San Rafael ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Raphael (archangel), St. Raphael", ) is a city in and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of th ...
, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Marin County
Marin County ( ) is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is ac ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States. Groundbreaking for the Civic Center Administration Building took place in 1960, after Wright's death and under the watch of Wright's protégé,
Aaron Green; it was completed in 1962. The Hall of Justice was begun in 1966 and completed in 1969. Veterans Memorial Auditorium opened in 1971, and the Exhibit Hall opened in 1976.
Located away from the former county seat in downtown San Rafael, the expansive complex stretches across two valleys just east of
US 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...
. Its pink stucco walls, blue roof and scalloped balconies are distinctive. The smaller wing is the county administration building and the larger wing is the Hall of Justice, joined by a round structure on a small hill that houses a branch of the
Marin County Free Library.
A battle between factions of the Marin County Board of Supervisors played out through the selection of the site and the architect, the financing of the project, and its eventual completion. The Marin County Civic Center is a
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
and
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
.
The nearby fairgrounds host the Marin County Fair in July.
Architecture
The selection of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957 to design the Civic Center was controversial. The Civic Center project was Wright's largest public project, and encompassed an entire campus of civic structures. The post office was the only federal government project of Wright's career. Wright's design borrowed ideas and forms from Wright's
Broadacre City
Broadacre City was an urban or suburban development concept proposed by Frank Lloyd Wright throughout most of his lifetime. He presented the idea in his book ''The Disappearing City'' in 1932. A few years later he unveiled a very detailed twelve ...
concept, first published in 1932.
Main building
The principal structure consists of a four-story, long Administration Building and a three-story, long Hall of Justice at a lower elevation, joined at a 120-degree angle with an diameter rotunda. The Hall of Justice spans a small valley, arching twice over an access road and a parking area, while the Administration Building spans a smaller ravine. Both structures are entered through archways on their lower levels. The long principal facades are marked by shallow non-structural arches of decreasing span with each story. The arches, which are framed in metal with a stucco
appliqué
Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique ...
, overlap slightly at the lower level. On the intermediate level, they appear to stand on short slender gold-anodized columns, and on the top level, they become round openings with gold railings directly under the deep roof overhang. The railings themselves have a circular pattern. The bright blue roof is itself patterned with arched cut-outs and raised circular patterns The building wings are arranged as a barrel vault shape on either side of the central galley, asymmetrically disposed. Interior guardrails at the atrium are solid stucco with no metal elements. Entrances are controlled by vertical grills of gold-
anodized
Anodizing is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts.
The process is called ''anodizing'' because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electro ...
metal with rounded tops and bottoms, rather than doors. The eaves are embellished with an arched
fascia
A fascia (; : fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; ) is a generic term for macroscopic membranous bodily structures. Fasciae are classified as superficial, visceral or deep, and further designated according to their anatomical location.
...
with small gold balls inset in each arch, a pattern repeated in the
atria
Atria may refer to:
Science
*Atrium (heart) (plural: atria), an anatomical structure of the heart
*Atria (genus), a flatworm genus in the family Dendrocoelidae
* Atria (star) or Alpha Trianguli Australis, a star in the constellation Triangulum Aus ...
.
[
]
The rotunda on the central hill houses the county library and a central cafeteria. Its gold spire was meant to house a radio transmitter, as well as the boiler plant's chimney. The interiors are arranged around open atria or "malls" as Wright called them, which allow natural light into the space. Originally open to the sky, the malls were later covered with skylights designed by William Wesley Peters
William Wesley Peters (June 12, 1912 – July 17, 1991) was an American architect and engineer, apprentice to and protégé of his father-in-law Frank Lloyd Wright.
Early life
Wes, as he was known to friends and associates, was born in Terre Hau ...
.[ Interior spaces featured glass walls to allow light to penetrate from the exterior and the atrium, and to follow through on Wright's philosophy of maximum openness of government activities.]
Wright's concept envisioned a gold-colored roof, which proved to be impossible to obtain in a long-lasting material. After Wright's death, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright
Olgivanna Lloyd Wright (born Olga Ivanovna Lazović; December 27, 1898 – March 1, 1985) was the third and final wife of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. They first met in November 1924 and married in 1928. In 1932, the couple established Wright's ...
chose a bright blue color that would weather well, gaining a softer color with age. The color choice, together with the pink stucco walls, was initially controversial, causing the building to become known as "Big Pink". The only large gold element is the spire at the rotunda.
Accessory buildings
The Post Office building is a one-story elliptical building near the entrance to the complex. Its facade repeats the arch motif, with circular embellishments on its canopy. The interior features an elliptical lobby.[
]
The nearby Veterans' Memorial Auditorium was designed by the Taliesin Associated Architects
Taliesin Associated Architects was an architectural firm founded by apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright to carry on his architectural vision after his death in 1959. The firm disbanded in 2003.
It was headquartered at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, ...
and was completed in 1971 in a manner compatible with the main complex.[ The auditorium was designed for use by the county fair with a combination of flat-floor exhibition space and tiered seating spaces, using a compromise plan devised by Wesley Peters, ]George Izenour
George Charles Izenour (pronounced I-zen-our), MPhys, AIEEE (July 24, 1912 – March 24, 2007) was an American designer and leading innovator in the field of theatrical design and technology, as well as an author and educator. He taught at ...
, and Aaron Green. The main hall seats 1960 in an amphitheater arrangement. A separate Showcase Theater seats 300, and the exhibition hall can accommodate up to 2000 patrons.
The original Hall of Justice design incorporated the Marin County Jail. As the jail outgrew its space a number of proposals were advanced for a new facility adjoining the Civic Center. A new, mostly underground jail was completed in 1994 in the hilltop immediately to the west of the Hall of Justice, designed by AECOM
AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation; stylised A''Ξ''COM) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The company's official name from 1990–2015 was AECOM Technology Corporation, ...
with 222 cells and 363 beds. The jail connects to the Hall of Justice by an underground link. The design concept was originally suggested by Aaron Green. The final design was reached after unsuitable underground and above-ground designs were rejected in the 1980s. Natural lighting of interior spaces is provided by skylit light wells over the common space of each of six pods.
A Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit
Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is a commuter rail service and bicycle-pedestrian pathway project in Sonoma and Marin counties of the U.S. state of California. When completed, the entire system will serve a corridor between Clover ...
train station
A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...
was constructed nearby which bears the same name.
Development
The Marin Civic Center arose from a desire to consolidate county services at a single location, away from the center of San Rafael. The idea was combined with a proposed county fairground, and of the Scettrini ranch were purchased in 1956 for $551,416 along U.S. Highway 101 near Santa Venetia
Santa Venetia is a census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States. It is located north of downtown San Rafael, at an elevation of . The population was 4,289 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Santa Venetia is located in eas ...
. The same year a selection committee was convened to select an architect, interviewing 26 firms, with a strong showing from Richard Neutra
Richard Joseph Neutra ( ; 8 April 1892 – 16 April 1970) was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for most of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. His most ...
. Frank Lloyd Wright was not interviewed and had indicated that he would not participate in a competitive selection. At the instigation of supervisor Vera Schultz, committee members and four county supervisors met Wright in June 1957 when he visited Berkeley to lecture at the University of California. Schultz was the most ardent backer of Frank Lloyd Wright as prospective civic center architect. If not for Schultz's support in the face of heated opposition, Wright's version of the center would never have been built. Schultz had the support of three of the men on the board, but the fourth, Supervisor William D. Fusselman, a conservative candy manufacturer from San Anselmo, attempted to prevent Wright from getting the commission. On June 27 the Board of Supervisors voted 4–1, with Fusselman dissenting, to retain Wright. Wright arrived in San Rafael two days later. He was 90 years old.[
Fusselman, the holdout supervisor, represented a conservative base that was opposed to the rapid pace of change in Marin County and to the proposed move from the center of San Rafael. Wright's fee of 10% of the construction cost drew criticism, as it was 2% higher than that proposed by other firms. Fusselman found a supporter in Wisconsin State Assemblyman Carroll Metzner, a virulent opponent of Wright in Wisconsin who appeared with Fusselman on local radio in Marin to denounce Wright's "socialist" design philosophy. Fusselman was also supported by the local chapter of the ]American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
. At the board meeting that confirmed Wright's appointment Legionniare Bryson Reinhardt read into the record a denunciation of Wright as a supporter of Communism during World War II, prompting an angry response from Wright, who threatened to walk away from the project.[ The county clerk, a Fusselman ally who had helped to organize the Legionnaires' protest, lost Wright's contract. A carbon copy of the contract was signed by the president of the Board of Supervisors, and Wright stayed.] Opponents demanded a referendum on the design, which was counteracted by an effective public relations campaign by supporters. Wright was directed to proceed with detailed design on April 28, 1958. In March 1959 Wright was appointed to design the post office. On April 9, 1959, Wright died, aged 91. Supervisor Fusselman attempted to obtain the plans as they were at Wright's death and to cut the fee by 2%. Both efforts were unsuccessful. Design of the first phase was complete in September 1959, directed by Wesley Peters and Aaron Green. The low bidder was Rothschild, Raffin and Weirick of San Francisco for $3,638,735 for the building and $596,470 for site development.[
Ground was broken on February 15, 1960, at a ceremony attended by Wright's widow, Olgivanna, Wright's son ]Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. (March 31, 1890 – May 31, 1978), commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American architect, active primarily in Los Angeles and Southern California. He was a landscape architect for various Los Angeles projects (19 ...
and grandson Eric Lloyd Wright
Eric Lloyd Wright (November 8, 1929 – March 13, 2023) was an American architect, son of Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. and the grandson of the famed Frank Lloyd Wright.
Early life and education
Wright was born in Los Angeles on November 8, 1929, to H ...
, but not by Fusselman.[ The June 1960 election changed the makeup of the Marin County Board of Supervisors so that, in the following January, the new board voted to halt work on the project and possibly to convert] it for use as a hospital, to replace a hospital that had been condemned.[ However, a poll by the '']Marin Independent Journal
The ''Marin Independent Journal'' is the main newspaper of Marin County, California. The paper is owned by California Newspapers Partnership, which is in turn mostly owned by MediaNews Group. '' showing overwhelming support for the project pressured board members to change their minds. This, together with a negative report on conversion to hospital use by an independent architectural firm, led to the lifting of the stop-work order, construction resumed a week later. The contractor sued for time and money lost during the stoppage.[ There was no further political opposition. The post office was the first building to be completed, and was dedicated on May 19, 1962. The Administration Building was dedicated on October 13, 1962, again without Fusselman.][
The Hall of Justice was financed by a special bond passed by referendum in 1965, which allocated $7.75 million to the $11.756 million cost of the new wing. Work by the contractor, ]Robert E. McKee
Robert Eugene McKee Sr. (1889–1964) was an American construction contractor and founder of the Robert E. McKee General Contractor, Inc. company.
Life and career
McKee was born in Chicago at a young age he and his family moved to St. Louis. ...
of Dallas, Texas, was scheduled to be complete by October 1968. Strikes, bad weather, delivery problems for materials and design changes pushed the proposed completion to July 1969. The Hall of Justice was finally dedicated on December 13, 1969.[
]
Attacks
In August 1970 the Civic Center, which houses the Marin County Superior Court
The Superior Court of California, County of Marin, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Marin County. It is housed in the landmark Marin County Civic Center, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1962.
Hist ...
, was the scene of an attempted jailbreak led by Jonathan Jackson, the brother of Black Panther
A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
militant George Jackson, demanding the release of the so-called "Soledad Brothers
The Soledad Brothers were three inmates charged with the murder of a prison guard, John Vincent Mills, at California's Soledad State Prison on January 16, 1970. George Jackson, Fleeta Drumgo, and John Clutchette were alleged to have murdered M ...
". Jackson released several prisoners in the courtroom and the group took a number of hostages, including the presiding judge, Harold Haley
Harold Joseph Haley (November 14, 1904 – August 7, 1970) was an American judge. He was a Superior Court judge in Marin County, California. He was taken hostage in his courtroom, along with several others, during the course of a trial, and was k ...
. While they were attempting to escape, four people, including Judge Haley and Jonathan Jackson, were killed. The story, which featured dramatic photographs, was carried in newspapers nationally. Black Panther activist Angela Davis
Angela Yvonne Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American Marxist and feminist political activist, philosopher, academic, and author. She is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Feminist Studies and History of Consciousness at the University of ...
was eventually tied to the case, prompting her to go on the run before being caught and ultimately acquitted on charges of supplying firearms to Jonathan Jackson. Aaron Green designed a landscaped area near the Hall of Justice as a memorial to Judge Haley. Later that same year, in October 1970, the Weather Underground
The Weather Underground was a far-left Marxist militant organization first active in 1969, founded on the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan. Originally known as the Weathermen, or simply Weatherman, the group was organized as a f ...
detonated a bomb at the Courthouse in retaliation.
Landmark designations
In recognition of its exceptional design the Marin County Civic Center main building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1991, and was designated a National Historic Landmark the same day. The designation as a National Historic Landmark came thirty years after completion of the first construction phase, compared with the more usual 50-year term before a site is considered eligible for the National Register. It is also a California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
, Number 999. In 2015 and 2016, it and other Wright buildings were considered for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. In 2016, the nomination to the World Heritage List was not approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. A revised 2018 proposal removed the Marin County Civic Center from the list of nominated buildings. That list of Wright buildings was approved in 2019.
In popular culture
* The Marin County Civic Center was a filming location for director George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
's first feature-length film, ''THX 1138
''THX 1138'' is a 1971 American social science fiction film co-written and directed by George Lucas in his feature directorial debut. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written by Walter Murch, the film stars Robert Duvall and Donald Pl ...
'' (1971). Lucas later used elements of the Civic Center's design as inspiration for structures on Naboo
The fictional universe of the ''Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Di ...
in the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy. The building also inspired concept designs for the yacht of Dryden Vos in Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
's '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'' (2018).
* Parts of Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English-American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who rose to prominence as a member of the rock bands the Herd and Humble Pie. Later in his career, Frampton found significant success as a s ...
's live album ''Frampton Comes Alive!
''Frampton Comes Alive!'' is a double live album by the English musician and songwriter Peter Frampton, released in 1976 by A&M Records. Following four studio albums with little success and sales, ''Frampton Comes Alive!'' was a breakthrough for ...
'' (1976) were recorded during his performance at the Marin County Civic Center on June 13, 1975.
* The Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
recorded their album '' In the Dark'' (1987) in front of an empty house at the Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
* The exterior and interior views of the buildings were featured in the science-fiction film ''Gattaca
''Gattaca'' is a 1997 American dystopian science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol in his List of directorial debuts, feature directorial debut. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Go ...
'' (1997).
Gallery
Image:Marin_County_Civic_Center.jpg, Looking up at the Civic Center.
Image:Marin7 036.JPG, Marin Transit
Marin Transit is a public bus agency serving Marin County, California, in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Marin Transit provides local and rural fixed-route bus services, paratransit services, and school bus services in Mari ...
serves the Civic Center.
Image:Marin County Civic Center Spire 20060610.jpg, The spire atop the Civic Center.
Image:Marin County Civic Center Roof 20060610.jpg, A view of the roof.
Image:Marin Civic Center Marker.jpg, Marker for the Civic Center.
Image:Marin County Civic Center Cornerstone.jpg, The red tile features Frank Lloyd Wright's signature.
Image:Marin County Civic Center NRHP Marker.jpg, National Register of Historic Places marker.
See also
* List of Frank Lloyd Wright works
Frank Lloyd Wright designed 1,141 houses, commercial buildings and other works throughout his lifetime, including 532 that were eventually built. , there were 409 extant structures designed by Wright. Over one-third of the extant structures are on ...
* List of National Historic Landmarks in California
This is a complete List of National Historic Landmarks in California. The United States National Historic Landmark, National Historic Landmark (NHL) program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes structures, di ...
*
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Civic Center Library
{{Authority control
1960s architecture in the United States
Buildings and structures in San Rafael, California
California Historical Landmarks
County government buildings in California
Frank Lloyd Wright buildings
Government buildings completed in 1962
Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in California
Government of Marin County, California
History of Marin County, California
Modernist architecture in California
National Historic Landmarks in the San Francisco Bay Area
National Register of Historic Places in Marin County, California
San Francisco Bay Trail
Tourist attractions in Marin County, California