The US Capitol's new look. Image via Architect of the Capitol.
The US Capitol dome will undergo a two-year restoration to patch up more than 1,000 cracks in the cast-iron hemisphere, the Architect of the Capitol announced today. While the dome is undergoing repairs, it will be covered in scaffolding from the tip of the statue of Freedom to where it joins the building’s main body.
The repairs are sorely needed, Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers says in a press release.
“From a distance the dome looks magnificent, thanks to the hard-work of our employees,” he says. “On closer look, under the paint, age and weather have taken its toll and the AOC needs to make repairs to preserve the dome.”
The dome hasn’t undergone a complete restoration since 1959-60. Close-up photographs released by the Architect of the Capitol show the dome in considerable disrepair, with rust fraying away the corners, deep cracks running along freizes, and whole chunks of metal crumbling off.
Two construction companies, Turner and Smoot, were awarded the $40.8 million contract in September. There is no start date on the project, but it should, for a couple of years, provide some relief to fans of the scaffolding currently sheathing the Washington Monument, which is due to come off next year. The design for the Capitol scaffolding, though, does not look nearly as impressive as the Michael Graves-designed illuminated shroud that covers the Washington Monument now.
Inside the Capitol Rotunda, crews will install a doughnut-shaped canopy along the dome’s underbelly to protect people walking through, and to preserve upward views of the Apothesis of Washington that decorates the ceiling. A similar canopy was installed in 1999 when the dome’s interior was stripped of lead paint.
Does Congress’s workplace really deserve to look this pretty when it’s covered in scaffolding? Image via Architect of the Capitol.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Capitol Dome to Get a 2-Year Makeover
The dome is in a state of grave disrepair, and the Architect of the Capitol will spend more than $40 million to fix it up.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2024: Great Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
Former Fiola GM Convicted of Murder Is Now in a Netflix Docuseries
These 5 DC Traffic Cams Are Issuing the Most Tickets Right Now
Farewell to Crystal City Underground, the DC Area’s Strangest Mall
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2024
Inside the Urgent Effort to Preserve Black Newspapers
Maryland Has Renamed an Invasive Fish. Will It Matter?
Meet the 2024 Washington Women in Journalism Award Winners
In the Doghouse: Kristi Noem and 5 Other Canine Political Scandals