‘One-of-a-kind' stained glass dome unveiled atop new Utah Capitol north building
Reporters are given a behind-the-scenes tour of a new stained glass laylight that was recently installed in the Utah Capitol's new north building as construction nears completion at the Utah Capitol's complex in Salt Lake City on May 19, 2025. (Courtesy of the Utah House)
Rainbow refractions — cascading through a collection of crystals embedded at the peak of the dome above — danced across Dana Jones' face as she showed off a one-of-a-kind work of art meant to make the Utah Capitol's newest building something special.
'We had a vision that we wanted Utahns to connect with this building in a way that if they were going to go on a road trip through Utah, they would be able to see the different landscapes (and its) symbols,' said Jones, executive director of Utah Capitol Preservation Board.
A group of Utah reporters from various outlets, including Utah News Dispatch, were invited to the Utah Capitol on Monday for the public's first look at the stained glass dome that's been installed atop the new building that's currently under construction to replace what was once known as the State Office Building at the Utah Capitol's complex in Salt Lake City.
The dome will act as a laylight for the north building's atrium — and Jones lauded it as one of at least several special works of art state officials will unveil as the north building nears completion. She said it's expected to be done by the beginning of next year, in time for the Utah Legislature's 2026 session in January.
To capture a behind-the-scenes and up-close look at the stained glass masterpiece, reporters were invited to step atop scaffolding more than 200 feet in the air. As construction finishes, the scaffolding will be dismantled — and to most, the dome will only be viewable from hundreds of feet below. But Jones said state officials wanted to show off its vivid colors, textures, hidden symbols and intricate details before the platform came down.
Glowing with sunlight, hues of blue, red, orange, yellow, green and every color in between poured through its glass. The 25-foot by 25-foot dome featured 89 panels of stained glass made up of 14,000 individual glass pieces.
Its panes contain at least 34 depictions of Utah landmarks and symbols — some easier to spot than others.
A flaming orange Rainbow Bridge arches over a seagull, Utah's state bird. Honeybees (the official state insect) buzz around blooming sego lilies (the state flower). The Colorado River flows through Bryce Canyon and Goblin Valley, two of several Utah state parks featured in the mural.
A Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (the state fish) bursts through a creek flowing near a golden grove of quaking aspens, representing the famed Pando Aspen Clone — the world's largest collective root system found in Fishlake National Forest.
You may have to squint, but hidden in the stained glass lead lines are symbols including a Utahraptor skull, a cougar, a dragonfly, a hummingbird, a lizard, a hopi kokopelli and anasazi symbol of the sun deity, and even an outline of the Great Salt Lake.
The stained glass mural was designed by lead artist Dallin Orr at the Lehi-based stained glass studio Holdman Studios, selected through a competitive bidding process. Orr told reporters his goal was to capture 'harmony' by balancing all of Utah's 'chaotic and diverse biomes,' from the snowy mountain peaks to the deserts — all anchored around the dome's center point, the sun.
Karen Ferguson, the building's architect, said the dome's shape — its double curve, transitioning from a square frame to a circle that rounds into a dome — makes it unique.
Her favorite part? The bristlecone pine — made with sand collected from all of Utah's 29 counties.
'That has every county in the state, right there,' she said. 'And it's just so iconic of Utah.'
Before walking reporters up to the top of the building to see the dome, Jones said the project has been 'near and dear to my heart,' and that she hopes others will experience a 'wow moment' like she did when she first saw it.
'We want this to connect with Utah,' she said, adding that the stained glass artwork is special because it's now 'part of the historic fabric' of the Utah Capitol complex. 'That is pretty special. We have built this to be long lasting, with the 100-plus year context of this building.'
Jones said when she first saw the completed dome, 'it legitimately took my breath away.'
'At the risk of sounding cheesy, it was an emotional thing for me,' she said. 'When you pour your heart and everything into a project. … I mean, this is part of history.'
Jones said for her, the elk seen trudging through the snow from behind a pine tree evoked memories of her dad — who she said died in the '90s while elk hunting after he suffered from a heart attack. 'He died doing what he loved,' she said.
Like her, Jones said she hopes Utahns looking up at the mural will find something special they can 'connect' with 'in their own way.'
The dome cost $1.6 million to complete, according to Jones — a price tag that she said was well worth it to create an iconic piece of art that will become 'the historic fabric of this building.'
'It deserves to have the presence that it has,' she said. 'Especially when it represents all things Utah.'
The dome is just one piece of a larger construction project that's been underway at the Utah Capitol complex since 2022. At its groundbreaking, state officials estimated the building would cost about $165 million, but since then its price tag has hit about $208 million, with state officials blaming construction inflation for the price increases, the Deseret News reported.
When combined with another $73 million for renovations to the Utah Capitol complex's central plaza fountain and an underground parking structure for lawmakers and state employees, the entire construction project has totaled about $281 million, according to state officials.
The new north building will replace the old State Office Building, which was built in the 1960s. For years, state leaders had eyed replacing the building, which was not only aging and in need of upgrades, but didn't fit with the rest of the Utah Capitol complex.
Now, the new north building will not only match the white stone and marble styling of the rest of the Utah Capitol's buildings, but it will be more than just an office space for state employees. It will also be the new home for the 'Museum of Utah,' as well as offer conference rooms, and other spaces for the public.
The entire construction project, along with redoing the outdoor plaza and the underground parking lot, is all meant to create more space and help better connect Utahns with their Capitol.
'We're doing all this,' Jones said, 'to make coming to the people's house easier.'
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
State Sen. Emil Jones III to face retrial on bribery charges in 2026 — when he'll also be up for reelection
State Sen. Emil Jones III will face retrial on bribery charges in January 2026, a year when he'll also be up for reelection to a seat bequeathed in classic Illinois fashion by his well-known father. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood on Friday set a trial date of Jan. 12, which will be nine months after his first trial ended in a mistrial when a jury deadlocked on all counts. If he chooses to run, Jones will have to submit signatures to get on the ballot by late November, a little over a month before his trial. The case, which is expected to last three or four weeks, would be long over before the Democratic primary in March, and a conviction would almost certainly force him from the ballot. The timing of the retrial also means Jones, the son of former state Senate President Emil Jones Jr., will have served out almost an entire four-year term in the General Assembly while the charges were pending. After he was charged in October 2022, Jones resigned from his leadership post and position as chairman of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee, and some Democratic leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker, called on him to resign from his $72,906-per-year Senate seat entirely. Instead, Jones remained on the ballot in the November 2022 election, where he was running unopposed, and was reelected to a fourth term that expires in January 2027. Jones' 14th District covers parts of the city's South Side as well as near south suburbs such as Riverdale, Calumet Park, Blue Island and Robbins. Jones, 46, a Chicago Democrat, is accused of agreeing to take bribes from an executive of a red-light camera company in exchange for Jones' protection in Springfield against legislation that would hurt the company's bottom line. Wood declared a mistrial April 24 after the jury at least twice reported they could not reach a verdict. The jury of seven women and five men had deliberated for about 24 hours over four days before announcing they were deadlocked. During Friday's hearing, prosecutors said they expect to call up to five additional witnesses the second time around, including former state legislators who will testify about the process of legislation and other nuts-and-bolts of the General Assembly in Springfield. Jones' retrial will come more than six years after FBI agents confronted Jones at his Roseland neighborhood home as part of a sweeping investigation into bribery schemes involving red-light cameras, liquor licenses and other graft across the west and southwest suburbs. At the heart of the probe was Omar Maani, co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC, who agreed to work undercover for federal investigators after being confronted with evidence he was paying off officials in Oak Lawn in exchange for political support to add SafeSpeed cameras at additional intersections. According to the charges, Jones agreed to accept $5,000 in campaign funding from Maani in exchange for Jones agreeing not to file a bill calling for a statewide study of red-light cameras, which SafeSpeed considered potentially damaging to its bottom line. Jones also offered to 'protect' the company from his friend, then-state Rep. David McSweeney, who had filed bills of his own calling for an all-out ban of red-light cameras, according to prosecutors. The charges allege Jones also asked Maani to give his former office intern a part-time job, which led to $1,800 being paid to the intern in exchange for no work. At his first trial, Jones made the risky decision to testify in his own defense, telling the jury his namesake father, who spent nearly 40 years in the General Assembly before retiring in 2008, inspired him to go into politics. 'Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to be a state senator like my father and I decided to run,' Jones testified in April, leaving out that his father had retired abruptly after winning the primary and pitched his son as his replacement to favorable Democratic committeemen. Jones told the jury he's run unopposed ever since winning that first election. Asked by his attorney, Victor Henderson, if he still had to raise money, Jones said, 'I never had an election. I never had an opponent to run against. So … no.' But he still had a fund, Friends of Emil Jones, 'to raise funds for my campaign if I ever had one,' Jones said. State campaign records show that campaign fund had about $148,000 in its coffers as of the last filing in mid-April. jmeisner@
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
State Sen. Emil Jones III to face retrial on bribery charges in 2026 — when he'll also be up for reelection
State Sen. Emil Jones III will face retrial on bribery charges in January 2026, a year when he'll also be up for reelection to a seat bequeathed in classic Illinois fashion by his well-known father. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood on Friday set a trial date of Jan. 12, which will be nine months after his first trial ended in a mistrial when a jury deadlocked on all counts. If he chooses to run, Jones will have to submit signatures to get on the ballot by late November, a little over a month before his trial. The case, which is expected to last three or four weeks, would be long over before the Democratic primary in March 2026, and a conviction would almost certainly force him from the ballot. The timing of the retrial also means Jones, the son of former state Senate President Emil Jones Jr., will have served out almost an entire four-year term in the General Assembly while the charges were pending. After he was charged in October 2022, Jones resigned from his leadership post and position as chairman of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee, and some Democratic leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker, called on him to resign from his $72,906-per-year Senate seat entirely. Instead, Jones remained on the ballot in the November 2022 election, where he was running unopposed, and was reelected to a fourth term that expires in January 2027. Jones' 14th District covers parts of the city's South Side as well as near south suburbs such as Riverdale, Calumet Park, Blue Island and Robbins. Jones, 46, a Chicago Democrat, is accused of agreeing to take bribes from an executive of a red-light camera company in exchange for Jones' protection in Springfield against legislation that would hurt the company's bottom line. Wood declared a mistrial on April 24 after the jury at least twice reported they could not reach a verdict. The jury of seven women and five men had deliberated for about 24 hours over four days before announcing they were deadlocked. During Friday's hearing, prosecutors said they expect to call up to five additional witnesses the second time around, including former state legislators who will testify about the process of legislation and other nuts-and-bolts of the General Assembly in Springfield. Jones' retrial will come more than six years after FBI agents confronted Jones at his Roseland neighborhood home as part of a sweeping investigation into bribery schemes involving red-light cameras, liquor licenses and other graft across the west and southwest suburbs. At the heart of the probe was Omar Maani, co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC who agreed to work undercover for federal investigators after being confronted with evidence he was paying off officials in Oak Lawn in exchange for political support to add SafeSpeed cameras at additional intersections. According to the charges, Jones agreed to accept $5,000 in campaign funding from Maani in exchange for Jones agreeing not to file a bill calling for a statewide study of red-light cameras, which SafeSpeed considered potentially damaging to its bottom line. Jones also offered to 'protect' the company from his friend, then-state Rep. David McSweeney, who had filed bills of his own calling for an all-out ban of red-light cameras, according to prosecutors. The charges allege Jones also asked Maani to give his former office intern a part-time job, which led to $1,800 being paid to the intern in exchange for no work. At his first trial, Jones made the risky decision to testify in his own defense, telling the jury his namesake father, who spent nearly 40 years in the General Assembly before retiring in 2008, inspired him to go into politics. 'Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to be a state senator like my father and I decided to run,' Jones testified in April, leaving out that his father had retired abruptly after winning the primary and pitched his son as his replacement to favorable Democratic committeemen. Jones told the jury he's run unopposed ever since winning that first election. Asked by his attorney, Victor Henderson, if he still had to raise money, Jones said, 'I never had an election. I never had an opponent to run against. So … no.' But he still had a fund, Friends of Emil Jones, 'to raise funds for my campaign if I ever had one,' Jones said. State campaign records show that campaign fund had about $148,000 in its coffers as of the last filing in mid-April.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Netflix drops first look at new political thriller series — and it already sounds like a compelling binge-watch
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Right on schedule, Netflix is dropping its latest political thriller just in time to shake up your late‑summer streaming lineup. The streaming service recently dropped some first‑look images and confirmed a August 21, 2025 release date for 'Hostage,' a five‑part limited series led by Suranne Jones . As a sucker for juicy drama (with a dash of political chess and personal peril), I've already added 'Hostage' to my summer watchlist. Jones stars as Prime Minister Abigail Dalton, whose world is flipped upside down when her husband is kidnapped during an international summit. Standing across the table is French President Vivienne Toussaint, played by Julie Delpy, who herself is being blackmailed. From the Netflix Tudum reveal (which revealed this series was originally titled 'The Choice'), we also got a peek at Dalton delivering a speech outside 10 Downing Street, Delpy in contemplative poses, and the two leaders caught in uneasy alliance. Netflix hasn't dropped a trailer yet, but judging by the premise and the cast, this one sounds like a tense treat. And I'm sure anyone who enjoys a good summer binge-watch will want to tune in when 'Hostage' lands in August. So, if this thriller has piqued your interest as well, here's everything to know about 'Hostage' before it premieres on Netflix this August. Along with the release date and first-look images, Netflix also revealed the official synopsis: 'When the British Prime Minister's husband is kidnapped and the visiting French President is blackmailed, the two political leaders both face unimaginable choices. 'Forced into a fierce rivalry where their political futures, and lives, might hang in the balance, can they work together to uncover the plot that threatens them both?' The five-episode series marks Suranne Jones' Netflix debut, where she not only takes the lead role but also serves as an executive producer. The show is penned by Matt Charman, known for his work on 'Bridge of Spies' and 'Treason.' Jones told Netflix: 'I'm thrilled to be on Netflix, in something I'm really proud of. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time. We'd talked about projects previously, but for me, it was about finding the right thing. Hostage was perfect — me and Matt together, backed up by this brilliant, supportive team. I loved it.' Charman also added: 'I've been dying to find the right story to tell with Suranne and I honestly believe what she's done with this character is going to blow the Netflix audience away. An embattled British PM in the middle of a fight for her country and her family — she's fierce, ruthless, and you can't take your eyes off of her.' The cast also includes Julie Delpy, Corey Mylchreest, Lucian Msamati, Ashley Thomas, James Cosmo, Martin McCann, and Jehnny Beth. Netflix describes this series as 'a political thriller with a captivating performance from Jones at its center.' Diplomatic visits are complicated enough under normal circumstances, but in 'Hostage,' it seems like the stakes are sky-high and nothing goes according to plan. Political thrillers aren't always my go-to, but I'm definitely intrigued by 'Hostage.' And that mainly comes down to its cast and the fact that the story leans just as much into personal stakes as it does global ones. Either way, I'm already invested, and I haven't even seen a trailer yet. Plus, a limited series is easy to binge-watch, especially when there's only five episodes. If Netflix sticks the landing with this one, 'Hostage' could easily be one of the standout thriller shows of the year. As a reminder, 'Hostage' lands on Netflix on August 21. In the meantime, see what's new on Netflix in June 2025 or check out these gripping thriller movies now. Netflix added an intense psychological thriller with Sigourney Weaver Netflix's next mystery thriller series drops first trailer Netflix unveils 'Sandman' season 2 trailer teasing Dream's return to Hell
