Here is the fascinating view we saw while standing on the front side giant steps of the capitol building. It reminded me of the Swiss Alpine vistas I have seen in many photographs till now. But here to my surprise, I was actually witnessing the exact similar scenery of the charming American Rocky mountain ranges and this beautiful city.
The capitol is the main building of the Utah State Capitol Complex, which is located on Capitol Hill. We could see scenic views of the azure sky, snow capped mountains, greenery and the downtown Salt Lake City.
The building construction started in 1912 and this sumptuous structure was inaugurated in 1916. Later it was renovated in 2004/08. The architecture style of the capitol building is Neoclassical and can be majorly related to Roman and Greek domain of arts.
We entered the capitol from the eastern side, and the first unique statue we saw, was that of Chief Massasoit. This sculpture is made by a renowned Utah artist Cyrus Dallin. Massasoit was a native Indian leader and a pioneer, who welcomed the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. The sculpture greets visitors as they enter the Capitol Hill Complex from the east side.
The Utah State capitol building exterior is constructed of Utah granite and the building's interior has five floors - four main floors and a basement.
After entering the capitol building we were amazed by the lavish internal architecture and the elegant decor. The capitol interior is decorated with many paintings and sculptures depicting Utah's history and heritage.
The building's main floor, is also the first level of the three-story rotunda. Rotunda means any building with a circular ground plan covered by a dome. The rotunda of capitol occupies the center of the building, under the magnificent dome.
The original chandelier suspended from the dome's ceiling weighs 1,400 kg and the chain supporting it weighs an additional 450 kg. This is the most eye catching object when we turn our heads up.
The interior ceiling of the dome, is embellished with a magnificent painting having seagulls flying in the sky among clouds. We got to know that this theme was chosen because it represents Utah's history, also because seagull is Utah's official state bird. I feel, this theme is exuberant and very apt for the capitol dome.
On the east and west sides of the rotunda are atria (open-roofed entrance halls). These atria contain large glass skylights, covering the entire ceiling, allowing sunlight to enter inside.
Following is the photograph of the House Chamber of the capitol. The Utah House of Representatives work inside the House Chamber.
Finally, we came out from the front side of the capitol building. While we were already amazed by the entire experience, we were welcomed by one more memorial structure, the Mormon Battalion Monument. This commemorates the sacrifices made by 500 Mormon volunteers who joined the U.S.Army during the Mexican War. These sculptures carved in a 100-foot rose pink granite, present different periods of the Battalion’s history - the Enlistment, the military March and the Discovery of gold in California.
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