Capitol Dome to Get a Face-Lift

Photo by Richard Whittaker

The dome on the State Capitol may look impressive, but, as with any tall room, it's tough to clean the high corners. So the State Preservation Board has announced a major repair and renovation project for some normally inaccessible areas of the Downtown landmark.

While it looks like it's made of stone, the dome is actually a system of cast iron pillars supporting inner and outer structures of wood and galvanized sheet metal. While board staff does regular maintenance in the reachable areas, much of the paint, woodwork, and outer metal sheeting needs repairing or replacing by craftsmen. "We are really great painters and plumbers," explained board communications director Julie Fields, "but there are things where we don't have the expertise."

In March, after a bidding process, contractors will construct internal and external scaffolding from the seventh floor up, giving them access to the whole structure, including the 199 windows, the roof, and the metal columns on the upper colonnades. There are no structural issues to address, but it's still a major task that can't wait. The dome was last painted during the 1992 restoration, but that paint was not UV-resistant and is now turning into powder – a process known as chalking. The damage is worse in some areas than others, like the southeast view, which is exposed to the worst of the summer sun, and there's visible pockmarking from the May 2008 hail storm. "This will be an opportunity for professionals to put their hands on all the metal, to make sure it's securely in place," said board Executive Director John Sneed.

Restoration can be a tricky business; it involves trusting the original builders. Metal contracts and expands with the weather, opening up holes, and the architects knew that when construction started in 1882. Facilities director Lee Baker said: "They designed for water to get into the building. They also designed for it to get out." Asbes­tos in the eighth level walkway blocked that drainage, leading to water-damaged plaster on the seventh floor. "We've got to remove [the asbestos] so all the moisture gets out," said Baker.

The project should be completed before the 2011 legislative session and is predicted to cost between $2.25 million and $2.5 million, paid for with Capitol complex parking fees and store revenues. The scaffolding will obscure the dome, but because the work is taking place above the public spaces, Sneed added, "This will not impact the use of this building at all."