Louvers and Windmills on a Cloudy Day

Precipitation was falling a little slow for rain this morning, but it was too wet to be snow.

The new steeple is beautiful.

The trim around the original windows was tan and grey, with a little fence surrounding the landing.

The trim on the temple is also two-toned, but it's not as dark as the tabernacle trim was.

The black posts are supports for a new fence.

Our friend Brian Olson provided a drawing so we could get an idea of what this might look like.

Visitors to the tabernacle could look out over the city from the landing.  Utah Lake to the west was visible. This picture taken from the landing shows the bell tower of Provo's first tabernacle.

The original tabernacle, built in the 1860s, was taken down in 1919.

While temple patrons won't be able to access the landing of the temple, we currently have the construction cam.

The cam is on the 9th floor of the Nu Skin tower.  I marked the cam with an arrow.

We can't see the lake from the cam, but on a clear day we can see the windmills in Spanish Fork Canyon. 
Mr. Engineer-Husband found this view from last month, since today was definitely not a clear day.

The steeple windows don't open.

Actually, this window on the southwest corner will have a little door, but I'm not counting that.

The original steeple windows did open, providing ventilation for the tabernacle.  In fact, all the windows opened.  Notice the arch in the south and east gables are brick, like they are today.

In 1917, the tower began to sag into the roof and it had to be taken down.

Eventually the entire steeple deck was removed. The frosted fire glass was replaced with stained glass windows.

Eventually, louvers were placed in the four gable arches, although this 1953 postcard doesn't show them yet.  The smoke stack on the right marks the spot of the furnace which heated the building.  The east and north gable arches are still brick.

Louvers were added incrementally to help pull air through the tabernacle.  This 1970s-era photo shows a few slats in the south arch.

This photo, taken not long before the fire, shows louvers filling the arch.

The 2010 fire burned the hottest on the west side of the attic, severing support to the west gable, and thus preserving it.

As the roof fell, it pulled the other three gables down with it.

Today, the east gable shows off a new stone which fills its arch.

There are so many beautiful architectural designs on the new temple, but we can't overlook these arches. 

The west arch is part of the redesign of the entire west gable wall.

The new gable wall includes six windows.

The ceiling in the original building was slightly vaulted.

As the tabernacle was refurbished and worked on over the years, the ceiling was flattened out.  However, new rooms on the second floor of the temple already have vaulted ceilings which reach far into the attic space, higher than either of the two previous ceilings.  I am told that one of the sealing rooms is much taller than it is wide.

The area around the former north entrance is being prepared for stairs.

Walls were poured last week.  Geofoam is now being placed around the walls.

This is easier to see from the cam.

Brian provided another diagram so we can get an idea of what this will look like.  Of course he's guessing on a lot of things, and his diagram was clearly drawn on a sunny day.  He said it was too early to plant flowers, but soon.  The skylight over the brides room is in the lower right corner.

There's not much guesswork left on the sidewalk along Center Street.

A white tent and a propane heater kept the new fence warm and dry.

Another tent covers the spot where the north lift station is.

This photo from last year shows the station on the left.  This is one of three lift stations on the site which will pump water out if the water table gets too high.  Men in the tent were installing the pump for that station.

I suspect that these men were working on the beginnings of a new exterior elevator for the east side.

This south side area will become an actual entrance in the not too distant future, moving the ladder out of his current job.

The entire south lot is receiving quite a bit of attention.

A new walkway along the west side has been poured in segments.

My camera flattened the perspective, but it is easy to see the walk and new gate posts glistening in the wet weather.

Lots of rebar is showing up.

This new strip parallel with Second South has been covered, but I don't know why there is a need to keep dirt dry.  A driveway will cross this area to what will be a small parking area on the right.

In the meantime, men worked on the west side to finish another walkway.

One of two propane heaters had just been turned on.

Stairs are next.

Masons worked around all of this.

I did spy a lone man in a yellow coat watching activity in the post office lot.

By the time I got to the lot, I could see he'd been giving instructions to men who removed a chain link fence which was along this concrete wall.

For a wet day, it was a pretty interesting trip to the site. 

But don't relax:  Spring will be blooming soon.