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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2014
Courtesy U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel near Colorado Springs.
T
he U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel was designed
by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1954. Walter A. Netsch
Jr. was the director of design; the chapel was his first
project as lead architect.
The chapel was designed to represent modern technol-
ogy and flight, and it was described as a “technological ex-
pression of the era,” “modernist” and “timeless.”
Construction began in 1959 and the grand opening was
Sept. 22, 1963.
The building that was once deemed an “outrageous mon-
strosity” has become Colorado’s shining star and receives
from 700,000 to 1 million visitors a year. The chapel has re-
ceived four architectural awards since its construction. It
soars 150 feet into the air.
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O
riginally designed by Elijah E. Myers, the Colorado
State Capitol Building was constructed in the 1890s
from Colorado white granite, and opened for use in
November 1894. The distinctive gold dome consists of real
gold plate, first added in 1908, commemorating the Colora-
do Gold Rush.
However, in 2006, a piece of cast iron from the Colorado
Capitol dome fell off the lower entablature due to rusted
fasteners and pack rust, sparking a movement for the first
major renovation of the dome since the Capitol opened
in 1894. That incident called into question the structural
soundness and overall deterioration of the Capitol dome
due to water intrusion, weather, time, and dated materials.
Melding the restoration of Colorado’s old, damaged his-
toric dome with modern technology over a four-year time
period contributed to the complexity of this detailed, pre-
cise project. Scaffolding built on the Capitol roof was the
only solution to providing close access to the dome and
transportation of materials and workers through lifts and
hoists. Individual pieces of cast iron that were removed for
restoration weighed up to 450 pounds. Weather-resistant
scrim was attached to 2x4s, which were wired to the scaf-
folding. The plastic shrink wrap could withstand 60 mph
winds to shelter work in progress and protect the structure.
The restoration project was completed Sept. 23.
Project partners include:
• Martin/Martin Inc., prime consultant, structural/investigative
engineering, engineer of record
• Quinn Evans Architects, lead architect, historical architect
• Humphries Poli Architects, associate architect
• Cobra Consulting LLC, historic preservation consultant
• Historical Arts & Casting Inc., cast iron consultant
• Rider Levett Bucknall, cost estimating
• BCER Engineering, mechanical and electrical
• A.G. Wassenaar Inc., environmental engineering
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Landmarks
Colorado State Capitol Building
Frank Ooms
Colorado State Capitol Building
USAFA Cadet Chapel
