Senate Chamber

I think my favorite room in the Capitol is the Senate Chamber. While the House has murals depicting important events in Utah's history, the senate chamber artwork is dedicated to the geography of Utah. Original to the room was the center mural depicting Utah Lake. During the restoration, two murals were added: one of the Anasazi ruins in Southern Utah, and the other of a fruit orchard in Northern Utah (Willard/Perry area for those scoring at home.)

The desks are original to the Capitol. The gallery is tight, but it affords a wonderful view of the action. The Senate also occassionally breaks to "saunter" when recognizing groups or individuals allowing each Senator to shake hands and express appreciation.

The architect, Richard Kletting, believed that government should be transparent, so he used skylights throughout to symbolize light and openness. The changing sun ensures that the Anasazi ruins mural seems different throughout the day.

All of these pictures are worth a click to see the detail of the room and the murals.

He also put lights on either side of the President's seat. These lamp posts are both in the House and Senate chambers.

Make sure to click this one to appreciate the way the ruins are in the shadow and the plateaus on the horizon are in the painted sunlight. Depending on the time of day you are in the chamber, this mural changes the most.

This one is very striking with its vivid blues and greens contrasting from the reds and oranges on the Southern Utah mural.