In the architectural world, just as in the worlds of food, clothing, and design, as styles come together we have whats called fusion. In fusion, often disparate elements come together to create a cohesive union, and sometimes seemingly harmonious elements come together in a not so harmonious way. In terms of architecture, a truly interesting blend happened in the beginning of the 20th century, melding together the elements of Spanish Mission revival style with the hip sleekness of Art Deco.

Art Deco buildings are known for their futuristic, sleek, dramatic, geometric flair. Cubes, zigzags, and futuristic chic came together to express the growing machine age in the United States. In the roaring twenties and early thirties, the jazzy Art Deco architecture was sweeping the nation. The Art Deco style found its inspiration from many different sources. The austere shapes and curves were taken from the Bauhaus School and the streamlined modern technology-looking design was melded with images of icons from the Far East, Greece, Rome, Africa, India, and Mayan and Aztec cultures. But above all these, Art Deco took inspiration from an architectural discovery in Egypt.

In 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter and his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, thrilled the world with their discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Egypt-chic soon swept the nation and influenced the design of clothes, jewelry, furniture and graphic design. And of course, architecture.