Stepping inside the State Capitol Building in Austin Texas is a little bit like stepping inside a massive tiered wedding cake. Layer upon layer of symmetrical white geometric patterns, defined by crisp gold lines with a splash of Tiffany Blue at the top.  Architects refer to this  classical architecture as Italian Renaissance Revival, an all-encompassing designation that covers many  19th century architectural revival styles. The idea behind classical architecture is to bring greater ‘order’ to architecture, resulting in strong symmetry and careful proportions, which grew out of scientific observations of nature and human anatomy.

Built in 1888, this is the third building to serve as Texas’s state capitol.  The previous one built in 1853 on the same site, was destroyed by the great capitol fire of 1881. The unusual color of the exterior is due to the fact that the structure is covered in sunset red granite. The original building material was to be hill country limestone, however, the high iron content of the limestone led to rapid discoloration with rust stains. Good thing they figured that out before they built it, or it would have been a disaster of ‘Monumental’ proportions.

If you’re visiting Austin, or Waterloo as it used to be called, a trip to the state capitol is fairly easy. Sure, you’ll need to go through some metal detectors, but it’s not nearly as bad as the ones at the airport. I guarantee you’ll love standing in the heart of the rotunda on its terrazzo floor, looking up towards the lone star of Texas at the top of the dome. There’s nothing more rewarding than experiencing good architecture, and Austin’s Capitol Building is one of those grand experiences you won’t want to miss.