Senate Chamber Restoration
The Colorado General Assembly first moved into the Capitol building in 1894. The earliest known dated photograph of the Senate chamber is from 1905. In the 1950’s, the room was updated with white acoustic tiles covering the walls and skylight. In 2013, one of our first projects was begun to restore the Senate chamber to its original appearance from the 1905 photo. These books and video detail those efforts and showcase the restoration and renovation of the Senate Chamber over the last 10+ years. Some of the areas uncovered during the restoration/renovation, which had not been seen since the original construction of the building, are documented in these books. The 2020 Yearbook tells the story of the Legislature during 2020 while Colorado dealt with a pandemic, historic fires, and protests.
Please view the different restoration project galleries that have happened since 2013
In 2013 the first acoustic tiles were removed and revealed the original paint from the 1905 photos. This book details the efforts from 2013 and 2014 to restore the walls of the Senate Chamber to their original appearance.
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There are 11 exterior windows and 3 interior windows in the Senate chamber. Of the 14 windows, 10 have stained glass installed featuring important figures from Colorado history. Some of the stained glass portraits are over 100 years old. This book details the efforts to remove, rehabilitate, and restore the 5 most visible window in the Senate chamber. During the repair process when the windows were reinstalled, the stained glass windows and the clear windows were swapped, allowing access to the Senate balcony, which had been closed off for decades.
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This book documents the unprecedented events of 2020 from the global pandemic, Colorado wildfires, and the widespread protests and riots that broke out following the death of George Floyd.
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In 2022, the Senate chamber and its lobby underwent major renovations and modernization upgrades. Careful attention was placed on retaining the Senate's historic character. The wood work in the chamber was refurbished and the Senate floor and carpet were renovated with new fire resistant materials. While the floor was removed, the electrical and data systems were updated to be safer and provide greater flexibility for the future, and a time capsule was placed under the floor for someone in the future to discover.
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2022 Senate Chamber Renovation Video with Commentary from Senate Leadership, Secretary of the Senate, Colorado Capitol Architect, and General Contractor for the Project.
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