Sunlight shone through a burst of blues, greens, purples and yellows in the newly restored stained glass dome in the House chamber on Thursday, as final touches were made to the room before it was officially completed.
The colors -- 19 different shades in total -- haven't been clearly visible since the stained glass panels were put in place a century ago, said Gary Clements, president of North Little Rock-based Clements and Associates Architecture Inc., who said he felt "honored" to head the state Capitol's latest renovation.
"We're seeing stuff now that hasn't been exposed since then," Clements said.
Drapes -- first red velvet, then white -- were hung in the dome for "acoustical reasons" in 1914 and covered up much of the glass, said Cecillea Pond-Mayo, spokesman for the state House of Representatives.
Four defunct audio speakers wrapped around the middle of the dome, covering a state seal that "hasn't been seen in a long, long time," Pond-Mayo added. The speakers, added in the '80s, have been out of use since smaller ones were attached to each legislator's desk.
"One of the most stark differences that I think people will notice when they walk in is that we took the curtains out," said Rep. Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, speaker-designate of the House. "We've got a much better look at the glass, and it allows the lighting to come through. It highlights the space in a very majestic way."
The project, which began in June and was completed Thursday, was the first major restoration to the dome since it was built in 1911, Pond-Mayo said.
The drapes and out-of-date sound system were removed; LED lighting was installed; the ceiling was repainted; and all 448 panels of stained glass were removed, cleaned, repaired or replaced, and re-installed.
The project was part of a larger restoration to bring the House chamber back to its original appearance. Work on this phase started in early June and came in at $40,000 under its $1 million budget, Clements said. It met its estimated completion date of Friday, Oct. 31.
"It's ready," he said. "They could have a session in there today."
Legislators voted in during Tuesday's general election will see the completed restoration for the first time during a seat assignment session Nov. 7, Gillam said.
"We're excited after all of this hard work to get members in here next week and let them see their chamber in its full glory," he said.
Clements said he brought in consultants for about every aspect of the restoration -- the glass, paint, acoustics and lighting.
Soos Stained Glass Inc. in North Little Rock was tasked with restoring the panels of stained glass that make up the inner dome. David Soos, founder and owner of the company, traveled to Kokomo Opalescent Glass in Indiana to find glass that was true to the original color scheme.
A tornado hit the state Capitol in the 1960s, damaging some of the glass, Clements said. Some panels were cracked, and other replacement glass was mismatched with the original.
Workers removing the stained glass panels were surprised to find coffee and tobacco cans that were wedged in the gaps between the glass and the dome's grid in an effort to force them to fit, Clements said.
"The way the good ol' boys of yesteryear put them in there was with a lot of putty and the coffee cans and tobacco cans," Clements said. "There was some pretty neat pieces and parts they found up there."
EverGreene Architectural Arts, based in Illinois, conducted a historical paint analysis on the ceiling to find its original color scheme, Clements said. The original colors were selected by Paul Martin Heerwagen, an Arkansas decorator who was hired in 1914 to design the Capitol's interior.
The Capitol's rotunda and barrel vaults, as well as the ceiling in the House chamber, were repainted in the original shades of white and gold.
"You'll see the relationship between this and the rotunda and the barrel vaults," Clements said. "When you move to places with more lights, the color becomes darker, and where it's darker, the color becomes lighter. It's good. It's very good. I wish I could take credit for it."
The next phase in the project will occur after the next legislative session is over, Pond-Mayo said. It will include replacing the carpet and fixing or potentially replacing the legislators' desks and chairs.
Metro on 10/31/2014