This is 99% Invisible. I'm Roman Mars.

In the artsy neighborhood of Echo Park in Los Angeles, right across the street from Echo Park Lake,

you'll find a building that begs to be noticed. It sits against the backdrop of coffee shops,

tattoo parlors, and tattoo parlors slash coffee shops. It's a colossal white structure

that looks like an arena laced with archways. Its defining feature is an enormous concrete dome

perched overhead. The building itself is a blend of classical and modern design elements

and has been described as, quote,

half Roman Coliseum, half Parisian opera house.

I mean, some people have described it that way.

But if you ask me, I think it looks more like a concrete flying saucer landed on top of the Rose Bowl Stadium.

Best reporter, actor, and frequent contributor, Gilean Jacobs.

One of my personal nerdier hobbies is driving around Los Angeles and looking up the history of

buildings. It's what I do to relax. So, of course, the first time I went to Echo Park Lake,

I homed in on that building across the street. I had to know what it was.

And luckily for me, there are tours available.

The dome was also the largest freestanding dome of that size and shape, at least in the

northern hemisphere, if not the world at the time.

Turns out this place is a Pentecostal church called the Angelus Temple.

Dan Scott is head docent of the Temple's Heritage Museum.

Seated 5,300 people.

It was also uniquely built.

It's completely fireproof.

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