Designed by Utah architect Richard K.A. Kletting, the $2.7-million Utah State Capitol was dedicated in 1916 and combined a neoclassical style with modern construction methods and materials, including reinforced concrete, elevators and electric lighting.
But decades of interior renovations had not honored the 320,000-sq-ft building’s original design, and its mechanical systems were in serious need of upgrading, says historic renovation architect Charles Shepherd of Salt Lake City’s MJSA Architects. These issues, combined with the Capitol’s location on an earthquake fault line, set the wheels in motion for a major renovation.