Specialized cleaning of the Marin County Civic Center roof’s membrane will bring out the ‘Marin Blue’ original color. [Photo courtesy County of Marin]
“Blue Turns to Grey” was a deep-cut Rolling Stones song from the mid-‘60s, but these days could serve as a fitting theme to the Marin County Civic Center’s iconic blue roof, which “has been concealed by a layer of encrusted dust and dirt, giving it a pale gray color,” according to Marin County officials.
The county this summer is having the roof cleaned for the first time since a new membrane material was applied to the roof in 2020. The roof will soon return to its original “Marin blue” color, the county announced in a press release.
Built more than 60 years ago, the 470,168-square-foot Civic Center is the largest completed public project that architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The project to clean the roof and make minor repairs will be put to public bid and is expected to have the contract awarded by the Marin County Board of Supervisors in June. The actual cleaning is anticipated to begin in August and take about two months. “Due to the uniqueness of the building and the special material of the roof, there is not a standardized process for the planned work,” the county said.
Marin public works staff estimates the project may cost $1.5 million.
