Reminds me of Sevilla

This is one of those inspiring views that I get everyday on my drive to work. I took a walk on my lunch break, climbed 4 flights of stairs to a nearby parking deck to capture this shot.

This building's ornamental tile reminds me of buildings that we saw in Sevilla, Spain, such as the Real Alcazar. Below is some history of this building from the web site http://aiken.isy.vcu.edu/classes/rlt/historyoflandmarktheater.html

The name of the theatre was changed from The Mosque in the 1990s to address the impact that this name had on the Muslim community.

I've seen one of my favorite musicians in this building - Prince; saw ballet performances, such as the Nut Cracker, and,registered for college classes in the basement. Now, its a greatly underutilized facility.

"Richmond's Landmark Theater (formerly known as the Mosque). The construction started in February, 1926, and took two years to finish. It was formally opened on October 28, 1927 by ACCA Temple of the Mystic Shrine and became the property of the city in 1940."

"Into the dome alone went 75,000 square feet of gold leaf, and another 35,000 square feet of aluminum leaf was used. The Auditorium decorations include Saracenic decorations and five paintings bordering the proscenium arch of the stage. Ornamental tile used in the interior was imported for Spain, Italy and Tunis, along with lush carpets, silken curtains and paintings which suggest the rich tents and equipment of a Saracenic nobleman."



"The South's Greatest Pipe Organ
The greatest pipe organ in the South, a replica of the one in the Paramount Theater in New York, was manufactured. "


"The Story of the Lake
The lake that is said to be under the Theater is indeed a spring on the site which affected the stability of the foundation earth and delayed construction. To overcome the problem, 963 reinforced concrete piles were driven down to bedrock, so now it can be said that the builders obeyed the Biblical injunction, if rather indirectly, and certainly the hard way."