Painting derived from original photograph by Patricia Sahertian. 2.5 x 4 inches, acrylic on photo paper.
Heading south to Tucson for a look at old adobe construction, our first stop is right off the highway.
The Marist College is a landmark building in Tucson, Arizona and American Southwest. Its completion just three years after Arizona statehood (1912) represents the apex of mud adobe construction. Adobe is found throughout the world in regions where climate and the availability of base materials blend in a vernacular tradition. This approach to building was utilized in pre-statehood Tucson and throughout Arizona Territory, and persisted until the influx of imported materials and lumber brought by the newly constructed railroad.
Source: Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation
“This remarkable building continues to be a beacon of Tucson potential,” says Demion Clinco, president of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation.
Clinco says the building’s Italianate and Spanish Colonial Revival style is impressive, and its location near the Tucson Convention Center is ideal for those who treasure what downtown Tucson has to offer.
Source: AZPM
What struck me the most about this building were the beautifully sculpted atlases framing the entrance. Unlike the building, which is blatantly showing its signs of erosion, these two telamon heroically hold up the second story balcony standing up against the elements.