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Friday, August 15, 2014

Number Ten

The copper finials are stunning as the scaffolding comes down around them.  A workman involved in their raising estimated they weigh about 150 pounds each.
Perhaps you have already noticed that the ball on the finial matches the ball Moroni stands on.
I visited the site last year on August 14th and August 16th. I used some pictures from those posts so you could see the dramatic progress which has been made on our temple.
Not only is there a roof on the temple, but there is a roof over the underground garage.  Almost.
The piers which supported the building during excavation were being removed.  You remember how amazing that was, right?
I couldn't resist and had to go back to April 30th, 2013 for this photo.
By August, there was a foundation.
Foundations were so last year.
Last year there was one gable.
There are four gables now, but this west gable is still being cleaned from the fire.
Remember worrying about the tower caps?
One year later, we are all excited about trim going up.
How many trim pictures will you let me get away with?
Three?  Ok, three.
The east gable has all its bricks, dentils and corbels.
The Holiness to the Lord stone will be kept behind its protective covering until the gable is completely finished.
One year ago the underground annex still had a gravel basement.
Today, and from a 180 degree viewpoint, the lots are being prepared for landscaping.
Perhaps you noticed from the construction cam that the concrete pump poured forms this morning.
Waterproofing the deck roof goes on around the forms.
The arches above the new windows for the temple president's office are almost finished.
Work continues in the large sealing room on the west side.
And I spied niche #10 on the southwest tower.
I spent quite a bit of time on the south side of the temple this morning.
Men putting up the slate shingles worked in the shade of the southeast tower before the sun got too high.
Serious work is going on in the south sealing room.
New sandstone will soon complete the beltcourse above the south entrance.
The fountain has rebar.  Rebar is always a sign of progress, I have decided.
I learned that from watching all the roof decks being built.
For a second I thought the workmen were installing a big screen TV at the end of the south lot.
This is actually a form for the wall at the end of the lot.  The red ladder is giving the foreman pointers.
Can you see all those workmen in that narrow space behind the wall?
I counted four, plus another ladder.
Machines which ran all over the lots last year now work on the north side.
I was delighted to see signs that the building is getting some air-conditioning, although shooting cool air through the windows is probably not the long-term plan.
The third large sealing room, on the north, is also getting attention.
The quartzitic sandstone niches were beautiful in the morning light.  They are a definite improvement from the plaster which the pioneers put in these spaces.  They are one of my most favorite things about this temple.
I don't know anything about the statue which will be in the center of this planter.  I hope it reminds us of the heritage of this building.
Any guesses on the progress of the temple in the next twelve months?
I am pretty sure I won't have to look on neighboring properties for flowers.

8 comments:

David and Mary Lou said...

OK....I'll hazard a guess! I believe the lot will get covered with dirt and all the planters will be roughed in before snow falls. That way they can get the landscaping going first thing next spring. It looks to me, from the Ogden and Ft. Lauderdale temples, that by the open houses the landscaping is in and established. So....I say the landscaping goes in next spring and they are ready for an open house by November 1, 2015. (And a Christmas season dedication after that!)

Julie Markham said...

I think our mayor would agree with your guess! And it makes perfect sense to me. I'd love to see some real dirt in those planters this fall.

Jeff Miller said...

In the picture where you talk about the building getting air conditioning is the quartzitic watercourse already in place? I'm surprised that you haven't mentioned this yet! Thanks for you blog...I love it!

Julie Markham said...

Look at that! I haven't mentioned it because I haven't noticed it. I will take a closer look on my next visit. Thanks!

Brian said...

Julie, do you know for certain that the inscription is under the foam on the east side, or is it just a form to shape the space?

I want to see the inscription more than anything right now.
The few shots I have seen from the plans showed 4 lines of Serif Letter's similar to what many temples have. For the render, however, if you look, they reproduced part og the inscription from the Salt Lake Temple, with that flowing artistic script.

I hope it will be the latter, but am afraid it will be the former.

Julie Markham said...

I have been told by someone I trust who saw the stone before it went up that this is beautiful. The lettering wasn't described. I'll continue to check the east gable every time I go to the site, and my next visit will hopefully be this afternoon.

David said...

Do you think that all of the copper on the temple will eventually turn green (Statue of Liberty), or have advances been made with treating metals that keeps the copper from changing color?

Julie Markham said...

I think it will turn brown, not green. Maybe they have done something innovative to keep it shiny. The copper on Moroni's spire still looks nice.