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etcpt t1_jbrl9el wrote

Had the opportunity to spend a week on the capitol campus in middle school working as a legislative page. That was quite a fun experience - got to work on the Senate floor, run messages between offices, ended up broadcast on TVW at one point.

Fun facts I've heard from there:

One of the tour guides told me that sometimes they have brass ensembles come in and play back and forth across the rotunda from the different levels - that must be quite a thing to hear!

Apparently the central chandelier there is large enough to enclose a VW bug, and when the 2001 earthquake hit it didn't stop swinging for days.

The dome is the largest self-supporting masonry dome in the USA, and the light at the very top of the building is the southernmost navigational light on Puget Sound.

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AdventureBum t1_jbrn2sk wrote

I actually met governor Locke there once while singing with my high school chamber choir way back in the 90s (we were on our way back to school from a performance and decided to stop by and take advantage of the acoustics). The Governor heard us and came out of his office to meet us, then invited us back into his office briefly for a photo op which ended up in the school news lol.

I’ve also helped produce the AV for several inaugural balls held there, for governors Locke, Gregoire and Inslee, and ran the jib camera for a couple of them 😁 It’s a beautiful campus.

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sglanders444 t1_jbtxjr1 wrote

My kids went to Centennial elementary school with Gary Locke’s kids. Mona would show up at the school to pick up their kids with her State Patrol entourage. I waited in the hall for kids on many occasions. My daughter had one of the Locke kids in her class and they went to the capital to plant a tree in honor of the third one.

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AdventureBum t1_jbubgyv wrote

I went there too! For a year, anyway. I had just moved to Oly from Shelton and went there for a year before going to Washington Middle School.

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BourbonBurro t1_jbud0rs wrote

I miss having him as Governor. My parents were die hard Republicans, but even they voted for him.

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sglanders444 t1_jbtop97 wrote

I walked to the top of the dome as part of a tour before the earthquake. Lots of stairs but it was incredible and the view of Olympia was pretty good too. If I remember correctly there was only room for 4-6 people at a time in the outside area. The stairs were accessed from the second floor and they hugged the edge of the outer dome.

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etcpt t1_jbtpzfp wrote

Cool! Do you know if they still do that? I got to climb up to the top of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and the view from up there is similarly amazing.

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sglanders444 t1_jbtwm57 wrote

That sounds incredible! I believe that the dome has been closed since the Nisqually earthquake. Too many cracks etc.

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IdaMez OP t1_jbtkytv wrote

I did not know these things, but will definitely share them. Thank you!

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Smoovie32 t1_jbua2p8 wrote

When they get music in there us is quite impressive. Brass or chorale, it tends to be beautiful sounding.

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Old-AF t1_jbrkul7 wrote

I love our State House, the marble is gorgeous!

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joeyjayjoeshabadoo t1_jbu7vqw wrote

It’s been a while since I was down in Olympia (live on the east coast now) but I had to go and do a day of meeting with reps and try to advocate for the passing of legislation related to my profession while in grad school.

I seem to recall the guide that gave me an informal tour telling me that the only gold in the building (not being worn on people) was woven into a few state flags that were gifted from France. It could be a lie and I never sought to fact check, but it always stood out to me. It’s something I strangely think about to this day!

It was my first and only time in the capital, but there is some lovely architecture in Olympia!

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rileysweeney t1_jbutp9b wrote

As an orchestra kid in Olympia, I ended up playing in the rotunda a couple times and always hated it. The echoes were brutal and always threw off the cellos and first violins. Made us sound so sloppy!

The space is awesome though if you aren’t holding a Viola.

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RysloVerik t1_jbtlnxm wrote

Why is the seal on the floor roped off?

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etcpt t1_jbtni58 wrote

To keep people from accidentally damaging it by walking across it. It's made of bronze, which is fairly soft, so it wouldn't stand up to foot traffic. There's a bust of George Washington on one side of the rotunda that is rumored to grant good luck to those who rub his nose, and as a result his nose is much shinier than the rest of him because the patina wears off from everyone touching it.

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RysloVerik t1_jbtoa3j wrote

Similar to an Abe Lincoln in the Illinois capitol and another at his grave.

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etcpt t1_jbtpptp wrote

I've got to wonder how that tradition started - seems like there must have been a common thread.

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Soosietyrell t1_jbtrswx wrote

I was there as a kid not old enough to appreciate it - so beautiful

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jesuswipesagain t1_jbtybbh wrote

I've always thought the marble was super tacky and overly gaudy.

I'm NOT saying public buildings should be bland. IMO, public works should be beautiful yet also feel accessible to the common person. I also understand that's an impossible goal based on the subjectivity of beauty.

The marble looks great in a vacuum, but it's association with upper class wealth is a poor choice for government buildings. At least in my layman's design philosophy.

The building is still super impressive. Cool pic!

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LoudLemming t1_jbu2mhj wrote

It's all Washington stone - it's of this place.

I don't disagree with the aethetics but it's a narrow view.

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jesuswipesagain t1_jbu6un3 wrote

Ohh that's an interesting tidbit, thanks!

Idk how much it changes my thoughts about highly ornate design elements on public buildings though.

Not sure what narrow means here, but I do understand it's not the materials fault for being naturally intricate and that my feelings are a symptom of my experiences and environment.

I wouldn't advocate for a redesign.

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Swanny82 t1_jbvcii2 wrote

Do you mean all the marble is from Washington? That’s not correct, we were just there and did the 3 hour tour. Almost all the different areas are made from marble from different areas. Some from Alaska, some from France and Greece I think it’s from all over the world. And they have like 489 Tiffany lamps from the Tiffany lamp company that went out of business in the Great Depression. The finished the capital building in 1928 I think, a year before the depression, otherwise they would never have been able to build it as grandly as it is.

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YoseppiTheGrey t1_jbveg1o wrote

Biggest waste of fucking money imaginable. Full of self important losers drunk on power. I'll never understand why people think this shit is impressive.

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Max-McCoy t1_jbuz640 wrote

Where freedom goes to die.

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IdaMez OP t1_jbuz9y2 wrote

This is where freedom goes? And then it dies there? Where was it before it went inside a building to die?

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Jazzlike_Station845 t1_jbtqob0 wrote

Ohh that's the place where they've been passing unconditional legislation!

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IdaMez OP t1_jbtspbe wrote

Multiple people have already posted similarly vague comments intended to be insulting.

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Blurry_pvs14 t1_jbuhms0 wrote

Beautiful building.

Too bad HB1240 violates section 24 of the WA constitution and is being rammed through anyways.

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rab2792 t1_jbti6e0 wrote

Oh so this is where they conspire to take away our rights. Cool, I'm glad they have somewhere so nice.

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IdaMez OP t1_jbtt3sz wrote

Is there a specific thing you’re talking about? Or just a general statement?

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WorriedResident496 t1_jbrtvgc wrote

What a beautiful building where such terrible policy is made....

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3551 t1_jbtkai1 wrote

One of the best states in the union. What are you crying about? Vaccine mandates?

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BurnaBitch666 t1_jbsc5oh wrote

Came here to say this. Glad they feel fancy while they kill much needed bills we've been fighting for

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avitar35 t1_jbtc0zb wrote

Literally every bill introduced is “much needed” to someone. There were over 1000 bills introduced in JUST the House this session. It’s impossible to get through them all in the 8 weeks before chamber of origin cutoff, and at the end of the day the majority party (and the speaker herself) decide what bills get through Rules and out to the floor. Even on the historic resurrection of the police pursuits bill in the Senate this week could only happen with the majority caucus being on board.

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IdaMez OP t1_jbtt09r wrote

Are you all struggling with this year’s legislation to establish a state dinosaur, too?

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avitar35 t1_jbtzidh wrote

No people love stuff like that so it enjoys widespread bipartisan support.

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BurnaBitch666 t1_jbwoglz wrote

Okay I'll give you that. I might disagree because I'm really pained by how much we've worked to get things through that were already stripped beyond measure but I do wonder why you're arguing me if you're actually connected to trying to get important bills through. And it's legitimately bs that they walk in fancy floors while they harm people. It's silly

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avitar35 t1_jbxw5fi wrote

I’m simply offering an explanation of the reality. No arguing here, not worth it and doesn’t do shit. However, not a single person there is trying to harm people, everyone wants betterment of society for people and there are just different approaches to that. If you really feel some type of way then run, win, and be the difference you want to see there.

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