Architectural Gems of La Jolla, Part II

Originally posted to ThisManMustBeStopped.com on 3/21/2007:

While I was in La Jolla for the Salk Institute tour, I decided to stop off at another truly notable piece of architecture:


Yep. Mormon temple. I knew the grounds were open to non-members, but even so I was a little nervous about getting proselytized while I was going around taking pictures. As I've said before, any sales pitch makes me uncomfortable, including those for religions. (Although there were a lot of visitors taking pictures - maybe there weren't enough missionaries to go around.)

At any rate, you may wonder, why is it notable? Well, peep this wide view:


Bold architecture. Fanciful, yet down-to-earth. Or something like that.

Notice the people at the bottom of the picture? It was a wedding party taking pictures. The couple had just gotten "sealed" inside the temple. I like to call it MegaMarriage, as it's supposed to keep you bonded for all time rather than being 'til death. Personally, I think that would be a bit much to ask of Mrs. Bart. I mean, Heaven is full of eligible bachelors. She may want to play the field a bit once she's in the afterlife.

So the happy LDS couple was there after being sealed, and during an interlude in the picture-taking I walked past the party to get to the other side of the temple and snap some more pictures. As I did, one of the bridesmaids gave me some serious Stink-Eye. That at least dispels the rumor that all Mormons are friendly. She could probably smell the Gentile on me.

Here's a side view from the parking lot:


To get a better idea of scale, I got closer to the tower with the trumpeting angel. Here's the top half:


And here's the bottom half:


The lobby's at the very bottom there, through the glass. That's the only entrance, although there's emergency exit doors at various spots, and a loading dock in the back. (Being a real estate guy, I'm still kicking myself that I didn't think of taking a picture of the loading dock!)

Strolling along the grounds on the far side, you can see just how close it is to Interstate 5:


This temple didn't have quite the serenity of the temple grounds in Los Angeles, probably due to the proximity of the 12-lane highway. But there was some nice landscaping, as you can see here (notice the couple still in the background taking pictures, and notice more picture-taking visitors to their left):


So how did I feel about my visit?


Pretty darn OK.

So: one neighborhood, two cool pieces of architecture, opposite ends of the spectrum (science & religion).

Tomorrow: last of the San Diego pictures, promise!

Check out the rest of my blog!