Dome

Avenida Mazatlan façade with colored glass panels and parking entrance; The garage provides close access to the Civic Auditorium, City Hall, the Public Safety Building, and the County Courthouse with 900 parking spaces. The parking structure is the first building of its type in the country to receive a LEED-Certified rating through the U.S. Green Building Council. Green elements include solar panels for electricity for lighting and the facility, water use reduction, and recycled content in the concrete, steel and glass used in the building. There are bicycle lockers and 14 recharging stations for electric cars. The cantilevered solar panels on the roof provide shade for rooftop parking. The building is six levels above grade and two below grade and features street-level retail and a café and a Zen garden. The exterior cladding and colored glass panels make it more hospitable to the community than an ordinary public garage. Source: City of Santa Monica [website]; http://www.smgov.net/ (accessed 7/13/2012)