In 1925 Santa Barbara suffered a devastating earthquake. Among the buildings lost was the frontier style County Courthouse. A group of Santa Barbarians concerned with the developing architecture of the rebuilt city on the sparkling Pacific wanted a unique style for the new buildings that reflected the Spanish roots of the local culture. The tangible results of this architectural vision were many. One of the biggest was the Courthouse.
The architectural style of the Courthouse is an amalgam of Moorish, Spanish, Mediterranean and other European and Middle Eastern influences. When Frank Lloyd Wright visited the building he was horrified. It is the apotheosis of everything Wright excised in his designs. He thought the style frippery of the worst sort. But ah what frippery.
The city of Santa Barbara is known for its white walls, red tile roofs and Mediterranean look and feel. It has its own style. It is its own style. It is the quintessential California Coastal town in the sun. There is no place else quite like it. Come and see.
It reminds me a little of the Lensic.
One beautiful theater here survived the earthquake, The Granada. It was just refurbished and is exquisite.