Colorado State Capitol
- Interspace & Power
- Jul 8, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 11, 2024
Location: Denver. Colorado, USA
Architect: Elijah E. Myers / Frank E. Edbrooke
Style: Neo-classical
Completed in: 1894
The Colorado State Capitol is located in Denver, Colorado, United States, where the Colorado General Assembly, a bicameral legislature composed of the Colorado House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate, meets. It also houses the offices of the Governor of Colorado, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, and the Colorado State Treasurer.
The architect, Elijah E. Myers (who also designed Michigan & Texas State Capitols) intentionally designed the Colorado State Capitol building to resemble the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
"Portico on the west side of the building"
The exterior of the building is cladded with granite from the Aberdeen Quarry near Gunnison, Colorado. At the central bay, the portico has six columns of the composite order supporting the pediment.
"Close-up of columns and pilasters"
The shaft of the columns is designed in a way that its pedestal extends up to 1/3 of its total height. The same design can be seen on the pilasters on the exterior wall. The columns and pilasters with the same design were used at the Texas State Capitol designed by the same architect.
"Dome gilded with gold"
The dome was originally covered just with copper panels until it was gilded with gold in 1908 to honour the Colorado Gold Rush.
The entire dome including the drum section of the dome has a strikingly different colour than the rest of the building. Apparently, the entire building was painted in the current blue-gray colour of the drums. However, the original blue-gray colour was lost during over more than 150 years of non-stop maintenance and repair.
When the entire dome went through an extensive restoration in 2012, the original blue-gray colour was re-discovered and it was decided to paint the entire dome in the original colour. However, there is no plan to re-paint the rest of the building.
"Entrance hall on the west side of the building"
The white floor is Yule Marble, which can only be quarried in Colorado (the same marble was used for The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.). The pinkish marble at the base of the column is called Beulah rose onyx, which again can only be quarried in Colorado.
"Grand staircase under the rotunda"
In addition to the Beulah rose onyx used in the pilasters and the Yule marble in the floor, the the railing of the grand staircase is made of brass.
"Looking up the rotunda from the Grand staircase"
"Another view of the Grand Staircase"
"Rotunda is right above the Grand Staircase"
"the Gallery of Presidents in the rotunda"
"Interior of the Capitol is composed of many Colorado-local materials"
"Chamber of the House of Representatives"
The chamber of the Colorado House of Representatives is located on the 2nd floor of the west side of the Capitol. The House is composed of 65 elected members and the General Assembly convenes each year.
"The Chair of the Speaker of the House"
The Speaker of the House is elected by the entire House membership and holds more power and greater authority than any other member of the General Assembly.
"Entrance to the Chamber of the State Senate"
"Chamber of the State Senate"
The chamber of the State Senate is located on the 2nd floor of the south side of the Capitol. The Senate is composed of 35 elected members and the regular sessions are held annually.
"Old Supreme Court Chamber"
The Colorado State Capital used to house its supreme court on the 2nd floor of the north side of the Capitol until it moved into their own building across the street in the 1970s. Now the chamber issued for meetings and legislative hearings.
"Inside the rotunda"
"Columns of composite order in blue-gray colour"
It should be noted that all the columns and pilasters around the drums of the dome have the same design as mentioned before with the extended pedestal up to 1/3 of its height.
"View facing west"
Across the Civic Centre Park, the Denver City Hall can be seen. The height of the City Hall was kept low to maintain the view of the Rocky Mountains from the State Capitol.
References:
COLORADO State Capital. (n.d.). Retrieved 2023-11-03, from https://capitol.colorado.gov/inside-capitol
Colorado State Capital. Wikipedia. (n.d). Retrieved 2023-11-03, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_State_Capitol
Why is the Colorado State Capitol two different colors?. Allan Tellis, 2018-02-14, from
Who Has What Power in Each Chamber? (n.d.). Retrieved 2023-11-03, from
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