Managed Chaos
Aerial view of the magnificent, as well as chaotic, Marin Circle in Berkeley, California. Approximately 30,000 vehicles per day drive around this traffic circle, and it can sometimes be quite an adventure getting through without incident.
Marin Circle was designed by the architect John Galen Howard, who also designed, among other treasures, the Campanile, California Memorial Stadium, and the Greek Theatre, all at the University of California, Berkeley.
The circle, which was completed in 1907, is surrounded by lovely Classical balustrades, benches and stone pillars. It has a gorgeous fountain in the center featuring three bears.
The streets surrounding the circle were all named after California counties, in hopes that this gesture, along with the donation of 40 acres with a view of San Francisco Bay, would entice state legislators to move the state capitol from Sacramento to Berkeley. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the state Senate and Assembly both voted for the move, but, as Berkeley was then a "dry" town, the liquor lobby led the proposition to a narrow defeat in a statewide referendum.
© All rights reserved
Managed Chaos
Aerial view of the magnificent, as well as chaotic, Marin Circle in Berkeley, California. Approximately 30,000 vehicles per day drive around this traffic circle, and it can sometimes be quite an adventure getting through without incident.
Marin Circle was designed by the architect John Galen Howard, who also designed, among other treasures, the Campanile, California Memorial Stadium, and the Greek Theatre, all at the University of California, Berkeley.
The circle, which was completed in 1907, is surrounded by lovely Classical balustrades, benches and stone pillars. It has a gorgeous fountain in the center featuring three bears.
The streets surrounding the circle were all named after California counties, in hopes that this gesture, along with the donation of 40 acres with a view of San Francisco Bay, would entice state legislators to move the state capitol from Sacramento to Berkeley. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the state Senate and Assembly both voted for the move, but, as Berkeley was then a "dry" town, the liquor lobby led the proposition to a narrow defeat in a statewide referendum.
© All rights reserved