Utah's Kaaba
The LDS Office Building has been critiqued on Vernacular Valentine, a blog that celebrates functional architecture the world over. Toni Magic, who has produced the most flattering rendering of the building that I've seen, writes:
The LDS Office Building's a sacred sight and has similar resonance in the hearts of Mormons as Kaaba to Muslims. Although slightly shorter than the Wells Fargo Center, the LDS Office Building is the tallest structure on the Salt Lake City skyline—geography or divine intervention!?!
The building was completed in 1972 on the very site Doritos were invented 5 years prior.* The architecture style can be described as the result of The Seagram building having sex with a suburban dentist office, sans protection!
A common joke in Salt Lake City is that the LDS Office Building is the box the 1893 Salt Like City Temple came in, which is located across the street.
*I 'll take Toni's word for it. It's great cocktail chatter.
**Legend has it that Wallace Stegner described it as such to a visitor.
2 Comments:
Doritos were invented by Frito Lay in 1966. The dates a little off, but I was not aware of any Frito Lay (now owned by Pepsico) buildings on that site?
As for the Church Office building being the Kabba to Mormons, I would say the Salt Lake Temple, which is far more iconic, is far dearer to Latter-day Saints than the Church Office Building.
I don't know any LDS who attach great spiritual signifigance to that building as the author claims.
Furthermore, everybody knows the 'box the temple came in' is actually the Tanner building on BYU campus in Provo. Talk about a monstrosity.
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