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The Wisconsin State Capitol Building was constructed in the Beaux Arts-style by architect George B. Post between 1906 and 1917 to replace the previous building, which had burned down in 1904. It is the fourth capitol building to house Wisconsin’s state government since its establishment in 1848. The building is located in Madison and occupies a 45-degree angle orientation, with a greek cross footprint and four wings that are aligned with the compass directions.

The exterior is clad in Bethel white granite and other types of stone, with a dome that is the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite. The statue on top of the dome represents the state of Wisconsin, and the outstretched arm symbolizes the state motto, “Forward”. The building has undergone major renovations in the past, with modern features added to the interior and some original features covered up. Later projects restored the building and updated its functions for the modern needs of the state government.

The building houses both the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the office of the Governor of Wisconsin, among others. It features porticoes with corinthian columns, rusticated bases, arched windows, decorative reliefs, and pediments with sculptural reliefs that represent different symbols.

The east wing, which is home to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, features a sculpture known as Law, while the west wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Assembly, showcases a sculpture known as Agriculture. On the north wing, which is home to a hearing chamber, is the sculpture known as Virtues and Traits of Character, and on the south wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Senate, is a sculpture known as Wisdom and Learning of the World.

The rotunda is the center of the building and is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base, while the exterior features a balustrade and decorative copper lampposts. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s and later restorations between 1988 and 2002, which updated the building’s systems and functions for the modern needs of the state government.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:39

The Beaux Arts-style Capitol Building in Madison, Wisconsin, was built in stages from 1906 to 1917 to house the state council and government offices. It replaced a previous State Capitol, dating from 1857-1869 and extended in 1882, that burned down in February 1904. The third building to occupy the present site, the Capitol houses the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate, as well as the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Office of the Governor. The first Capitol for the Wisconsin Territory was located in Belmont, WI, before the state legislature met in Burlington, Iowa, and then Madison, where the first State Capitol, built in 1837, was modestly sized and of Greek Revival style. The present building, built with Bethel white granite from Vermont and 42 other types of stone from eight states and six countries, has a Greek cross footprint and is oriented at a 45-degree angle to Compass Points, while the street grid roughly parallels the shorelines of two nearby lakes. Designed by the architect George B. Post, who died before the building was completed, the Capitol underwent a renovation in the 1970s and later restoration between 1988 and 2002. The wings of the building feature pediments and decorative reliefs with varied symbolism, created by several sculptors, and integrated into the porticoes, cornices, modillions, and dentils that embellish the exterior.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:48

The Wisconsin State Capitol building, constructed between 1906 and 1917, is an iconic example of Beaux Arts-style architecture. Designed by George B. Post, it replaced the previous building, which was destroyed by a fire in February 1904. The current building sits on the same site as the previous capitol and has a Greek cross footprint with four five-story wings aligned with the compass directions, and radial streets following these directions, set at a 45-degree angle to the city grid. The building is clad in Bethel white granite from Vermont, with an additional 42 types of stone from eight states and six countries used on the interior. The building’s centerpiece is a 284-foot tall dome covered entirely in granite, containing a statue of a woman representing the state of Wisconsin, with her outstretched arm symbolizing the state motto, “Forward.”

Before the construction of the current building, the legislature had met in a hastily constructed wood-frame building in the village of Belmont, and later in Burlington, Iowa, before locating the state capital in Madison. The first capitol building in Madison was a humble Greek Revival-style building constructed in 1837, which was replaced by a larger and more ornate structure between 1857 and 1869. This building was in turn replaced by the current building due to its inadequacy for the growing state government’s needs.

The current building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s, which covered up many original features but added modern amenities to the interior. Later renovations between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while updating its systems and functions for the government. The building’s exterior features porticoes, arched windows, and sculptural reliefs on the pediments, with different symbolism embodied by their design.

The building’s central rotunda is surrounded by semi-circular portions of the facade with two-story Ionic porticos, grand staircases, and large terraces. The rotunda is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base. The wings contain hearing chambers, offices for legislators, and the state supreme court, among other government functions.

The building’s unique orientation and location make it a landmark in the city of Madison, with a state law restricting the height of buildings within a one-mile radius to preserve its visibility. The Wisconsin State Capitol building is a fitting symbol of the state’s history and government, an impressive work of architecture, and a reminder of the natural beauty and culture of the surrounding area.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:30

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a Beaux Arts-style structure built between 1906 and 1917 to house the state house of representatives, state senate, and offices for the Wisconsin government. The building replaced the previous state capitol, which burned down in 1904. The building is the third to stand on the present site, and the fourth to house the Wisconsin state government since the state’s establishment in 1848. The state’s first capitol was in the village of Belmont, with the legislature meeting in a hastily constructed wood-frame building before moving to Burlington and eventually settling on Madison as the state’s capital.

The present building is the largest to be entirely clad in granite, and the tallest building in Madison. Its greek cross footprint comprises four five-story wings arranged according to compass directions and radial streets cutting through the surrounding street grid at a 45-degree angle. The building’s unique orientation places it at a 45-degree angle relative to Capitol Square and most buildings on adjacent streets. The exterior of the wings features porticoes on the ends with corinthian columns, arched windows, rusticated bases with entrance doors, and decorative keystones. Decorative reliefs feature festoons over the windows on the porticoes, cornices decorated with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs embodying different symbols.

The central rotunda of the building is topped by a large dome that rises from a tall base. The main building stands at a height of 284 feet with a statue of a personification of Wisconsin atop the dome, sculpted by Daniel Chester French in 1920. Originally built in stages, each wing of the present building was completed one at a time, gradually allowing space for government activities. The central rotunda and dome were built after the other three wings had been completed, as they served a more symbolic than utilitarian purpose.

The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s, with several original features covered up and modern features added to the interior. Later restorations between 1988 and 2002 restored the building while updating its systems and functions for modern use. The building houses both the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor.

In summary, the Wisconsin State Capitol Building is a Beaux-Arts style structure built between 1906 and 1917, serving as the third capitol building to be constructed on the present site and the fourth to house Wisconsin’s state government since the state was established in 1848. It replaced the previous state capitol, which burned down in 1904. The building is one of the largest built entirely in granite and is the tallest building in Madison, with a unique 45-degree orientation relative to the surrounding streets. The building features four wings arranged according to compass directions and radial streets cutting through the surrounding street grid at a 45-degree angle. The exterior of the wings features porticoes, corinthian columns, arched windows, and decorative keystones, as well as cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs embodying different symbols. The central rotunda features a dome that rises from a tall base with a statue of a personification of Wisconsin atop the dome.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:50:55

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building was built in 1906-1917 in the Beaux Arts style, designed by George B. Post to house the state house of representatives, state senate, and offices for the Wisconsin State Government. It replaced the previous capitol building that was built in 1857-1869, which burned down in February 1904. The building houses the Wisconsin State Assembly, Wisconsin State Senate, Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. The building stands 284 feet tall, with the dome being the largest in the world to be entirely clad in granite. The exterior of the building is clad in Bethel white granite, sourced from Vermont, along with an additional 42 types of stone from a total of eight states and six countries being utilized on the interior of the building.

The dome of the Wisconsin State Capitol Building was sculpted in 1920 by Daniel Chester French, and is a personification of the state of Wisconsin, with the outstretched arm of the statue representing the state motto, “Forward”. The interior of the building features many original features, with the exterior of the building’s wings featuring porticoes on the ends with corinthian columns, arched windows on the third floor, rusticated bases with entrance doors and decorative keystones, decorative reliefs featuring festoons over the windows on the porticoes, cornices with modillions and dentils, and pediments with sculptural reliefs.

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building has a Greek cross footprint with four five-story wings. The building underwent a major renovation in the 1970s that added modern features to the interior and covered up many original features, with later projects between 1988 and 2002 restoring the building while updating the building’s systems and functions for the modern needs of the state government.

The building was one of the last works of the prolific architect George B. Post, who died before the building was completed. The exterior of the building’s wings features different symbolism embodied by their design. On the east wing, which is home to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the sculpture known as Law, created by Karl Bitter, is located on the portico pediment, on the west wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Assembly, is a sculpture known as Agriculture, also created by Karl Bitter, on the north wing, which is home to a hearing chamber, is the sculpture known as Virtues and Traits of Character, created by Adolph Alexander Weinman, and on the south wing, which houses the chamber of the Wisconsin Senate, is a sculpture known as Wisdom and Learning of the World, created by Attilio Piccirilli.

The sides of the wings feature simpler cornices with dentils, pilasters and recessed window openings with arched openings at the ground floor, windows with decorative pedimented headers on the second floor, arched windows on the third floor, two small two-over-two windows on the fourth floor, and a recessed fifth floor featuring small paired windows, hidden behind a balustrade that runs around the entirety of the building minus the ends of the wings, concealing a low-slope roof at the setbacks on the sides of the wings and above the corner porticoes. The upper roofs of the wings are low-slope with front gabled portions in the middle punctured by skylights, with the roof being almost entirely enclosed by a parapet.

In the center of the building is the rotunda, which is topped with a large dome that rises from a tall base.

Posted by w_lemay on 2023-03-08 12:51:01