State Capitol
Minneapolis
St. Paul
Renovation of the Minnesota
State Capitol
For the past three years, the Minnesota State Capitol has been undergoing a massive, $310 million renovation. Visitors to the 1905 building will be able to see the repaired marble, restored murals and reclaimed skylights, but many of the improvements — including mechanical and safety systems — won't be visible. The reopening celebration includes morning yoga on the Capitol lawn, cocktails on the loggia and a Prince dance party.
scroll
3D renderings compliments of HGA Architects and Engineers
Painstaking art restoration
Decorative and fine art throughout the building was painstakingly restored. Using cotton swabs and tiny instruments, a team of professional conservators cleaned, in-painted and varnished 57 paintings. Portraits of Minnesota’s former governors were rehung in the completed building. Six Civil War paintings were rehung in the Governor’s Reception Room and Anteroom. Use the slider to explore the restoration on "The Third Minnesota Entering Little Rock" (1910), by Stanley M. Arthurs.
Restoration by the numbers
750,000Pounds of new ductwork in the Capitol building.
40,000The new square footage of public gathering space, doubling the space before the restoration began.
30,000Number of marble pieces marked and cataloged.
2,000Average poundage of each granite tread on the South Plaza stairs.
800Tons of white Georgia marble used in the restoration. It was quarried from the same county in Georgia as in 1905.
300Average number of workers on site during renovation.
11/14Restrooms before and after the restoration.
6Reclaimed skylights.
Sources: HGA Architects and Engineers, Minnesota Department of Administration, Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota State Capitol Restoration Project, Page Conservation Inc.