Brecken Larsen

Period 6
Architecture Project

1) I visited the Capitol Building. I chose this building because I love the imperialistic
architecture. This is not the first time I've been to the Capitol building, however,
this is the first time Ive been inside.
2) This building was built to house many of the offices and goings on of the Utah
State Government. This building still serves that purpose, containing rooms for
the senate, court, and even the Utah Highway Patrol. The structure allows for an
impressive appearance. But, a lot of the space is used inefficiently, and
practically, a more simple design would allow for more space that can be used.
3) The capitol building was constructed with a stone and steel foundation, and walls
made from Utah granite. The dome was also covered in Utah copper. This
building was constructed with materials mostly from Utah, ensuring that the
material fit the climate quite well. The granite and copper were both mined in
Utah. The exception is the granite flooring, which was mined in Georgia.
Recently a Base Isolation System was installed, allowing the building to
withstand up to a 7.3 magnitude.
4) When you first enter the Utah Capitol building you are met with a large open
room with openings on each side leading to grand staircases. Four statues are in
openings in the wall in this entry room, bringing a sense of grandness. On the
sides the stairs lead up to a courtroom and the senate meeting room. The
furniture in these rooms are a bit more mundane than the grand granite structure
of the rest of the building.
5) This building sits atop Capitol Hill and is absolutely massive in comparison to the
buildings surrounding it. Directly north of the Capitol Building is another office
building that was constructed to house government legislatures as the Capitol
Building was reaching capacity. The roads create a square encompassing the
Capitol and allow for sufficient traffic control. The Capitol Building is only
surrounded by small houses and other small buildings. It isnt the most effective
nor efficient use of space, but it stands out, which was the point of building it at
such a grand scale on top of a hill.
6) There is a substantial amount of landscaping. The top of Capitol Hill was leveled
off to allow for the construction of the Capitol Building and the grounds now
sprawl out from the building in wide grass covered fields. This makes the Capitol
Building stand out even more against the surroundings as it appears even larger
with no buildings adjacent to it.
7) This building was constructed in 1916 and establish Salt Lake City as the new
capital city of Utah. It was and still is an incredibly impressive building that
attracts tourists and was even featured in films Legally Blonde 2 and Drive Me
Crazy
8) This building was constructed precisely and symmetrically. Use of lines show in
the 52 columns and the rectangular base design. In designs on the granite and
copper dome are repeating contributing to the sense of order promoted by the
symmetrical texture. The building is mostly white, but the use of copper on the
dome allows for some mild color creating contrast.
9) The immense size of the building is incredibly impressive and instills a sense of
awe. There is a lot to look at, from the massive columns to the impressive dome.
However, people may find the structured symmetry boring. I find it to be
somewhat creative as it is unique, but mimics many of the designs of Greece and
Rome, which is typical of government buildings.
10) I find this building to be very interesting as I love things to be organized and
structured. It is hard to not be impressed by the gigantic size of the building and I
find the structure to be very inspiring.