Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/433760
THE CAPITOL DOME 37 and then to the story of the construction of the Capitol and Jefferson's confluence with Latrobe. As an architect and art- ist, I became transfixed by the enigma of this most beautiful room, as well as the specific and practical design solutions the architect faced and how he solved them. But no topographical drawing or painting exists of this American architectural mas- terpiece. Could this American treasure be pieced back together so we can see it? What can we learn about the structure and construction of the South Wing by recreating it? Whose ideas were better regarding the lighting of the chamber? Jefferson had speculated that the chamber would be the "handsomest" in the world. Latrobe himself stated to Congress in his 1806 report, "at it will be a splendid room,—probably the most splendid Legislative Hall that has ever been erected,—is certain." 14 is was a perfect opportunity for me to explore an archi- tectural history using the power of the computer. Although the drama and the narrative of the major characters during this time period provide an extraordinary and compelling history, oftentimes the description of lost art or architecture is reduced to an unsatisfying recitation of attributes. My goal was to bring the chamber back to its full glory and allow visitors to see for themselves the old Hall of Representatives. A M e t h o d o l o g y f o r R e c r e a t i o n My first step was to examine closely Latrobe's existing construction documents. No more than twenty of Latrobe's original construction documents relating to this phase of con- struction of the South Wing are in the Library of Congress. e drawings are not complete; the design varies greatly over the course of many years; and many are at small scale. Following the course of the narrative of letters from about 1803 to 1815 between all the principals involved, it became clear I needed to make a careful timeline of decisions and changes, as the construction process was in a state of constant flux. Essential facts used to construct my computer model mostly came from these letters and drawings and my time line. A computer model does not allow fuzziness, so every ele - ment has to be defined. When determining a key dimension or architectural form, I often tried to rectify many conflicting AU T HOR Fig. 13. Drawing of the exterior of the Capitol about 1814, from the northeast. is is the approximate approach from Bladensburg Road by the British troops.