El Paseo Building, Spanish Colonial Revival building in Carmel-by-the-Sea, United States.

El Paseo Building is a Spanish Colonial Revival structure in Carmel-by-the-Sea featuring traditional craftsmanship throughout its design. The building contains a central courtyard with imported Spanish ceramic tiles, hand-carved wood details, and ornate wrought iron railings that appear in multiple areas.

The building was constructed in 1928 by architects Blaine and Olson for L.C. Merrill, blending elements from both new and historic Spanish architectural traditions. Its creation came during a period when Carmel-by-the-Sea was establishing itself as an artistic community with strong Spanish design influences.

The courtyard holds Jo Mora's terra cotta sculpture 'The Greeting', depicting two figures of early Spanish California meeting formally. Mora, born in Montevideo in 1876 and raised in New York, settled in Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1921 and served as a director of the Carmel Art Association from 1934. During the Depression he created the 'Carmel Dollar', scrip given to unemployed residents for public service and redeemable at merchants for goods or a dollar.

The building connects Dolores Street to Seventh Avenue through a narrow passageway and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should note that restaurants and shops are located within its interior spaces, which makes the passage busy and lively.

The stairway features patterned tiles sourced from Spain that create colorful decorative effects. These details are easy to overlook when moving quickly through the narrow passages but reveal fascinating craftsmanship when examined closely.