Venetian Gothic Revival shapes the Occidental Life Building, opened in 1917 to Henry Trost's design. It was inspired by the Doge's Palace in Venice, and locals call it one of the city's most recognizable landmarks — even described as "unique in the country. Imagine the early purpose of this place: it was built as the new headquarters of the Occidental Life Insurance Company, an organization first formed in 1906.
The building's story is resilient: a fire in 1933 left it mostly gutted, yet the exterior walls stood, and architect W. Miles Brittelle rebuilt the interior and redesigned the roofline to give it an even more consistent Venetian appearance. Later, the interior was remodeled again in 1981 to add a second story, and its historic importance was recognized with listing on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1973 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Find the corner of Third Street and Gold Avenue, and read the whole story in one Venetian profile: 1917, 1933, 1981.