Looking Up!

I didn't start my day on the west side, but I know this is what you want to see.

And there is a lot to see:  restored brick, stone, copper and beautiful windows.

I started here.  You can see the dust from the masons cutting stone for the north garden walls, but you can't hear the noise.

There were a few missing windows after the scaffolding came down on this side last week, but they aren't missing anymore.

This man is putting some finishing touches on an art glass window which will be part of a ground level instruction room.

However, some chose to admire the new brick.

It didn't take me long to spy two guys on the deck of the steeple.

It did take me a little while to figure out what they were doing.

My camera saw the copper trim they were installing.

The watercourse level received a lot of attention from waterproofers.  Geofoam will soon move in, raising the ground level.  The skylight over the brides's room is to the right of the northwest tower where workmen are taking apart the scaffolding.

Landscaping will ramp up to the temple in a gentle pyramid style.

Gardeners kept busy this morning planting trees.

Other workers paved the way for new stone along Center Street.

Masons have been busy with planters.  This area is already lovely, but very noisy. 

There are far more fence posts than trees, at least for the moment.

Pallets of quartzitic sandstone wait patiently to be placed.

The pioneers did not build the tabernacle to be two stories.  The original interior was one very large room for a variety of meetings and services.

The upper level was a balcony, not a floor.  In designing the temple, a second floor had to be created.

Topping the lower windows with stone transom panels allowed the upper floor to begin at a height which fit with the second level windows.

With the scaffolding down on the north and west sides, we no longer have to try to see the windows from behind poles.

I hope you hadn't forgotten about the sixteen beautiful niches.  The pioneers filled in this space with plaster, but the temple designers planned for a sandstone veneer.

The scaffolding wasn't coming down fast enough for me.

While I waited, I found a lot to admire.  The upper tower windows are lovely.

The stones in the window arch, as well as the sill, are all quartzitic sandstone.

The second level windows have a more gothic arch.  In fact, the entire second level of the interior  will be quite Victorian, with many arches.

Scaffolding in front of windows must come down carefully.

I watched the two copper-trim guys come around the corner of the steeple deck.

The copper water collection system is actually stunning.  The hangers holding everything up are brass.

This west gable was the only one to survive the 2010 fire.

There are no longer any traces of scorched brick.

Organ pipes ran up the interior of the west tabernacle wall, leaving no room for windows.  After the fire, the architects chose to put windows where before there had just been decorative exterior plaster.  This picture, from October 2012, was taken as I reached high over the east side construction wall, unable to actually see inside.  Steel was placed on the interior and later covered with gunite to strengthen the original brick walls which still stand.

This workman is removing a bolt which secured the scaffolding to the brick.

This picture taken last March shows the west wall before it was restored.  The lower openings were entrances, not windows as they are today.

I finally left the site, bought some milk, and when I returned, the new gable windows were easily visible.  The abstract floral designs are symbolic, representing lotus plants and lilies.  Notice the arches in the design of the windows, both in the shape, and in the glass.

Arches, gables and even gablets lift our eyes upward.

However, arriving at the temple will require a driveway on the ground, which has now been poured.

A large track hoe was at work along Second South.

He not only held a gate open for me, but he spread out new dirt.

The pavilion has been receiving some interesting attention.

It appears that some insulation was sprayed on.

Hot water tubing for snow melt is now horizontal around the pavilion.  Maybe it was affixed to the tomato cage wire.

The fountain is almost hidden behind geofoam, which is creeping north to the temple.

The two stairwells in this area will remain a mystery until they are finished.

The stairwells are along the left of this picture, blocking our view of stone work which I've heard is going up along the foundation walls.

But at some point, we will enter at the opening where I was standing and look for a place to park after turning right at this point.

Here, I stood above the place I was below.  The plastic over the stairwell blocks the view of the lower courthouse.

Geofoam has been moved into place at this west entrance, bringing a little clarity. 

The ramp on the right is too steep for wheelchair drivers, so it must be for stairs.  Wheeled accessibility zigs left before zagging right.

The final surface will be concrete, not geofoam.

John Hall happened to capture workmen cutting the geofoam yesterday with this nichrome wire.
Think of a long, thin toaster coil which melts through geofoam.

He reported that it was much quieter than masons cutting stone.

With the mystery of the west ramp solved, now I can devote more time to figuring out the south lot.

For example, why is there a black pipe in the middle of the geofoam?

This is probably not for a drinking fountain.

It was a beautiful morning at the temple site.

Copper trim around the steeple deck made the morning even more beautiful.

Everything is looking up.