The architect of the Capitol has put lawmakers on notice that the main feature of summer tours, the enormous and art-filled Capitol Rotunda, will be closed for about six weeks as the renovation of the dome moves inside, part of a race to preserve Capitol Hill’s key government buildings.
Stephen T. Ayers said the shutdown will run from July 25 to Sept. 8 as protective floor covering and scaffolding are installed. Once up, lawmakers and tourists will be able to flow through the Rotunda. The “Apotheosis of Washington,” the famous painting on the inside top of the dome, will still be visible, his office told Secrets.
Ayers said the outside dome rehab is going well but he warned that more money is needed to fix buildings throughout the complex.
Deteriorating stone on the Cannon House Office Building exterior. AOC Photo
He described the deterioration of the buildings as dire.
“The longer these stone buildings are left to the destructive effects of time and the elements, the more the problems compound. Instances of cracking and spalling stone grow more serious and more costly to repair every year, and the temporary fixes the AOC undertakes to prevent catastrophic failures are not enough to prevent conditions from worsening. Investing in stonework projects will pay long-term dividends and preserve these historic buildings for decades to come,” he testified at a budget hearing.
Besides stones falling off the Capitol and House and Senate offices, he drew attention to an especially dangerous situation in the House Rayburn Office Building garage.
Deteriorated concrete slab in Rayburn Building Garage. AOC Photo
He said that steel rebar holding together cement parking decks is rusting and corroding. Just imagine if one fell down to the next deck, he warned.
“Concrete slab failures create life-safety concerns,” Ayers said.
His workers won praise for preserving the Capitol and House and Senate office buildings at budget hearings this year. But he emphasized that it the process is long and often provides just temporary fixes.
From his testimony:
Viewed from a distance, the buildings of Capitol Hill are inspiring and impressive, but up close, the buildings are more distressing than impressive, as weather, age and deferred maintenance are destroying many of the finer details of these awe-inspiring stone edifices.
When stone is properly maintained, it is one of the world’s most enduring materials; but when exterior stone deteriorates, major problems such as water infiltration, rusting of steel structures, mold and energy loss can occur within the building.
While our dedicated employees perform the work necessary to maintain our buildings and grounds, they can only ensure the integrity of the materials when they are given adequate resources and support. Years of austere budgets have already resulted in the loss of many irreplaceable heritage assets.
Stone preservation continues to emerge as one of our most important priorities. The condition of the exterior stone on most, if not all, of the buildings on Capitol Hill is rapidly deteriorating. The AOC’s historic preservationists, structural engineers and stonemasons are in a race against time as the infrastructure rapidly deteriorates and deferred maintenance projects accumulate.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
