The Marin Civic Center and Fairgrounds located on a 140 acre hillside property in San Rafael, CA was Wright's 770th and final commissioned work before his death in 1959. Unfortunately Wright was never able to see his finished design through to its completion in 1961, but his legacy for creating uniquely original, organic, and visionary built environments will certainly live on for many generations to come.
Wright was recognized by the American Institute of Architects in 1991 as "the greatest American architect of all time"
Wright's incorporation of circular, spherical, and oval motifs permeate throughout this particular building. Everything from lighting fixtures to drinking fountains and furniture to skylights, not to mention the entire building itself and surrounding grounds were all designed with the same underlying free flowing ovular motif.
It was an immense joy for me to finally see first hand the symbiotic relationship Wright's buildings have with their natural environment, something I had only read about and seen in photographs until now. What a fantastic experience this was to walk through one of his works and to get the chance to photograph as well made the whole experience that much sweeter!
I hope you enjoy these photos as much I do...and if your interested in seeing this building for yourself there are guided tours every Wednesday morning at 10:30 am at a cost of $5.
For more information about this building and for driving directions to the civic center visit their website here.
Jonnu Singleton | photographer
jonnu@jonnu.com
+1.949.697.5835
