Occidental Life Building
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The Occidental Life Building is a historic building located at 305 Gold Avenue SW in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is a unique example of U.S. Venetian Gothic Revival architecture, modeled after Doge's Palace in Venice. It was designed by Henry C. Trost of the El Paso architectural firm Trost & Trost, and built for the Occidental Life Insurance Company in 1917.
The building has street facades on the south and east sides, facing Gold Avenue and 3rd street, respectively. These are faced with bright white terra cotta tile and decorated with elaborate floral patterns. A row of pointed arches runs along each facade below a row of quatrefoil windows. When originally built, the Occidental Life Building had an overhanging cornice and wide arcades between the arches and the building proper. After a 1934 fire gutted the building, the roofline was rebuilt to more closely resemble Doge's and the interior office space was expanded, removing the arcades. The interior was rebuilt as a two-story office building in 1981, keeping the terra cotta exterior intact.
[edit] External link
- City of Albuquerque Landmarks & Urban Conservation Commission: Occidental Life Insurance Building
