"Gardens of Villandry and Gardens at Chenonceaux" is made up of two mosaic murals in the niches of what was originally the Home Savings Tower on Figueroa and 7th Street. The murals present birds-eye views of two 16th century Renaissance gardens in the Loire Valley, France. Partially hidden nude angels, symbolizing the city's name, stand behind a wall of luxuriant foliage in the "Gardens of Villandry", the lunette that faces Figueroa. A festoon of brightly colored oranges, representing the area's rich agricultural past, fills the "Gardens at Chenonceaux", the lunette that faces Seventh Street. These images are in harmony with the building's architectural references to the French chateau, linking the murals to colorful botanical treasures of Southern California. These mosaic panels were created in Italy and are attached to the office tower in sections, continuing a tradition that Home Savings had begun decades earlier when Millard Sheets had designed a large number of mosaic glass murals for the institution's branch offices. Courtesy of CRA/LA.
