Dome	Floor Dome Statue Stacks Basements

The lofty dome above the Library of Parliament’s Reading Room is made of iron; its interior surface is lime plaster over wood lath. After the repairs and renovations of the 1950s the entire inside of the dome was painted a uniform off-white, taking away some of the visual definition of its features and generally dulling its effect.

Through the Library renewal project, all necessary repairs were made to the plaster of the dome. It was repainted in two colours: one, a brighter white hue to accentuate its height and airiness, and the other—tracing the curved ‘ribs’ of the dome’s beams—a natural pigment blue reflective of the era. In an interesting way, reverting a colourful dome more typical of 1876 has the effect of giving it a more modern and distinctive appearance than it has had for many years.

Dome before. March 7, 2002

Dome complete. January 13, 2006 (Roy Grogan)

The beautiful lantern dome which was built anew after the fire in the 1950s has been cleaned and given a fresh coat of paint. Its gold-leaf dome, plaster ribbing and ornaments rise majestically above the main dome.

Lantern complete: May 12, 2006