State of Iowa Dome Restoration

OPN Architects

Recognitions: Spring 2020 Iowa Architect

Project Description

OPN Architects was retained for the restoration and rehabilitation work on the Iowa State Capitol dome, following the completion of the evaluation and repair study in 2016. The study, led by Scott Allen, defined and prioritized the scope of work to be completed, which was included with a cost analysis in a final deliverable. Restoration and rehabilitation work is complete on the dome, including rehabilitating the existing windows, repairing wood windows, painting windows, adding insulate glazing units, masonry and brick replacement on the interior of the dome (brick face had spalled and collected at the attic space around the base of the drum and on the skydome), repairing the flatlock roof, repointing and refacing deteriorated stone, painting the exterior of the lantern down to the top of the dome (the complete gilding of the dome was not included in the scope), and myriad structural repairs behind the sheet metal. A monitoring platform was constructed and inserted to allow easier monitoring and restoration access in the future. The exterior lighting of the Iowa State Capitol was also addressed and designed to better illuminate the architectural elements.