The impressive La Massa Theatre was constructed between November 1880 and March 1881 by master builder Rafael Guastavino Moreno. Guastavino designed a circular structure with a rectangular stage area. The building's most distinguishing feature is the 17-metre diameter Catalan vault over the main hall. At only 3.5 metres in depth the dome is relatively shallow and its structure consists of a double layer of ceramic tiles. It features a 4-metre diameter oculus in its centre and small peripheral vaults supported by cast iron columns that create the perimeter boxes of the hall. Guastavino became a benchmark of modern American architecture. The New York Times, in 1908, in its obituary stated that “New York's architect has died,” a sign of the enormous importance of Guastavino on American soil.