Preservation Update: Idaho Falls Temple Renovation Complete

Note: Preservation Updates are a regularly occurring series of posts where I round up recent information on historic LDS buildings and their futures. Depending on the age of the post, there may be newer information available. Click here to see all Preservation Updates.

Yesterday, the Mormon Newsroom posted an article stating that the Idaho Falls Temple renovation is now complete. I have taken the photos posted there and added them to the other photos on the post that gives an interior tour of the temple. If you want to see the temple from top to bottom, check out that post; this post focuses on the results of the renovation.

I am ecstatic to see the results of this renovation. Once the Church has decided that one of its temples or chapels is architecturally significant, it does a fabulous job of restoring and preserving that architecture, and this is clearly visible in Idaho Falls. Most of the work is unseen--retrofitting and stabilizing the building so that it can be preserved and enjoyed by Latter-day Saints for years to come.

The most obvious change to long-time patrons of the temple will be the murals, which have been carefully restored. They are more vibrant than ever, because they have been carefully cleaned and repaired.

One change I particularly like--at least, from the photos that I can see--is that the curtains are now opened in the creation, garden, and world rooms of the temple. When I visited, these curtains were shut during the entire session--ostensibly to allow the film to be viewed. I'm hoping these curtains can automatically open and close, depending on when the film is being used, to maximize the use of natural light.

I might have one concern--the ceiling of the creation room would light up with stars at the appropriate moment of the ceremony. I can't tell if this ceiling still allows that. I hope so; it certainly wasn't original to the temple, but it was a beautiful touch.

One notable change has been the reduction in the number of seats in each ordinance room. This may seem confusing--why reduce capacity? In truth, I wish this was done in all historic temples. These temples were not built to be efficient or to pus through huge numbers of patrons. When I visited this temple, there was precious little leg space (or seat width), and the large number of patrons in the session meant that it was one of the longest sessions I'd ever attended. With the increase in the number of temples--this area of Idaho now has temples in Twin Falls, Rexburg, and Star Valley (Wyoming), and there will be a temple in Pocatello. The temple doesn't need to have the huge capacity that it had before; it wasn't built for that.

This renovation, from what I can tell, has also increased the amount of natural light in the celestial room, perhaps by uncovering some original windows:

I really love this temple and the careful renovation the Church has undertaken. The Salt Lake, Manti, Cardston, and Laie Temples have been carefully preserved as well. It remains to be seen when the Church will undertake the laborious but necessary job of restoring the temples in Mesa, St. George, and especially Logan. Until then, we can enjoy this temple for the coming decades as a wonderful example of what architecture the Church can produce.

Preservation Update: Details on Idaho Falls Temple, Monteplier Tabernacle Renovations

Note: Preservation Updates are a regularly occurring series of posts where I round up recent information on historic LDS buildings and their futures. Depending on the age of the post, there may be newer information available. Click here to see all Preservation Updates.
 
What exactly is going to be done to the Idaho Falls Temple when it closes in March? Thanks to the LDS Church Temples website, we have a better idea:

"A major focus of the renovation will be to bring the historic temple up to code. Mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded and structural walls reinforced. A separate exit will be created for brides and grooms, and a large waiting room added for wedding parties—reducing the size of the current office space. In the ordinance rooms, the murals will be restored and the number of seats reduced to increase roominess and improve the room-to-room progression of the temple. Finishes and furnishings will be refreshed throughout the temple, and clothing rental and cafeteria services will be retained."

The temple renovation will follow the pattern of recent temple renovations in the Church--making necessary changes and upgrades, but preserving the historical elements of the temple. The only major change appears to be the addition of a waiting room, but that is in the newer section of the temple. I love that they will preserve the murals--and it might be nice to reduce the room capacity, too. When I visited the temple last year, I realized that the rows were awfully close.

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Scott Haskins, an art preservationist who often does projects for the Church, is reporting that this Tuesday (February 3), he is going to the tabernacle in Montpelier (which is currently under renovation) to replace two murals by Minerva Teichert that were removed during the actual renovation. 

(Image Source)

It appears that the building may be close to opening again. I will keep checking for updates on this renovation, as well as the many other renovations that are ongoing.

Preservation Update: Idaho Falls, Freiberg Temples Officially to be Renovated

Note: Preservation Updates are a regularly occurring series of posts where I round up recent information on historic LDS buildings and their futures. Depending on the age of the post, there may be newer information available. Click here to see all Preservation Updates.

After months of mostly speculation and rumor, the Church has officially announced that the Idaho Falls Temple will be renovated. It will close in March 2015 and reopen around October 2016. The newsroom article makes it sound as though it will be rededicated at that time. The other temple being renovated is the Frieberg Germany temple.

(Source: Mormon Newsroom)

What does this mean for the Idaho Falls Temple? I feel pretty assured that the historic character of the temple will be mostly preserved. Scott Haskins has previously reported that he has evaluated the murals in preparation for this renovation, so that the Church knows what work needs to be performed.

Another aspect will be the seismic upgrade that the building will receive, which probably explains the long period the temple will be closed. I imagine the temple will also have its heating, cooling, ventilation, and other systems looked over, as well.

The trend right now is for the Church to preserve historic architecture, so I don't anticipate any of the historical elements being taken out, nor the progression in the temple being removed. It may be nice to arrange for the windows to be opened during the portions of the session that don't have film, though (as I mentioned in my earlier post).

In any case, it's good to see the official announcement, and to know that the temple will continue to be preserved.

Preservation Update: Logan Tabernacle Basement Renovation, Murals Restored in Manti and D.C.

Note: Preservation Updates are a regularly occurring series of posts where I round up recent information on historic LDS buildings and their futures. Depending on the age of the post, there may be newer information available. Click here to see all Preservation Updates.
 
The Herald Journal is reporting that the Family History Center in the basement of the Logan Tabernacle is being renovated. The renovation includes "new artwork, carpet and paint colors...the entryway will be redesigned, [and] a sitting area and study area will be added, as well as a family room."

 

(Image Source)

For those unfamiliar with the Logan Tabernacle, the main and second floors contain the assembly hall, and are generally well-preserved.

 (Image Source)

The basement contains the family history center and a baptismal font. When I visited this tabernacle, the basement looked fairly modernized and little, if any, historical elements remaining. The Logan Tabernacle was dedicated in 1891.

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Scott Haskins runs a Facebook page covering his restoration of art, which sometimes includes LDS art. Recently, he's reported that he's restored this mural in the Manti Temple (it looks to me like it's in the baptistry, but I can't be certain):

  (Image Source)

 And last month, they worked on the mural "The Final Judgment," which is recognized among most LDS communities. The original is located in the Washington D.C. Temple (and, even though most copies don't show it, the mural shows that temple on the left side).

   (Image Source)

He also posted back in February that he was working on the murals in the St. George Temple and that "more extensive work is scheduled for 5 years." If his sources are correct and plans don't change, then we'd know that the Idaho Falls Temple will be renovated from 2015-16, and the St. George Temple will be renovated beginning in 2019 or so. I hope these renovations keep (and restore) original elements.

UPDATE: This news article has a Church representative saying that nothing has been announced about a remodel of the Idaho Falls Temple (apparently speculation is rampant). However, he doesn't deny it either--he just reiterates that nothing has been announced, and that if it were to happen, it would come from the First Presidency. We'll have to see what happens.

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This last point isn't related to historic architecture or preservation at all, but I thought it was cool--the Church held some sort of conference regarding the temple under construction in Rome, and in the background you can see what I assume are the designs of the temple interior--which apparently includes a really cool, open-centered spiral staircase.

(Image Source)

It will be exciting to see how the Rome Temple turns out when it is completed.

Preservation Update: Idaho Falls Temple Renovation & Murals Evaluation

Note: Preservation Updates are a regularly occurring series of posts where I round up recent information on historic LDS buildings and their futures. Depending on the age of the post, there may be newer information available. Click here to see all Preservation Updates.
 
Scott Haskins, an art preservationist who does work for the LDS Church, reported that the murals in the Idaho Falls Temple were evaluated earlier this week (on Monday): namely, the mural of Christ teaching (a large mural visible when patrons leave the assembly hall and go up the stairs to the endowment rooms), the murals in the baptistry, and the murals in the Creation, Garden, World, and Celestial Rooms. (To see the post where I included pictures of these murals and gave my thoughts on the temple, click here.)

(Image Source)

 
The temple apparently has a scheduled renovation for 2015 to 2016. The temples in Rexburg, Twin Falls, and possibly Logan would take over for the temple district until Idaho Falls reopens.

I'm always happy to see steps being taken to preserve the distinctive nature of our architecture. We'll have to see when the renovation actually happens.

Idaho Falls Temple: Interior

Note: This is one of a series of posts on the interiors and floor plans of historic temples:
1. St. George Temple (1877)
2. Logan Temple (1884)
3. Manti Temple (1888)
4. Salt Lake Temple (1893)
5. Laie Temple (1919)
6. Cardston Temple (1923) - Post forthcoming
7. Mesa Temple (1927)
8. Idaho Falls Temple (1945)

The Idaho Falls Temple is significant in that it was the last temple truly built for a live endowment. (The Los Angeles Temple also had all four rooms, but from its dedication used a tape recording to facilitate the presentation of the endowment.) Even though the temple now uses film to present the endowment, its unique architecture remains. Pictures of the interior of the temple for this post come from The Idaho Falls Temple: The First LDS Temple in Idaho, by Delbert V. Groberg; I've also added pictures from the Mormon Newsroom's article on the recent renovation and open house.

First, I liked the arrangement of the temple's lobby and chapel (called 'assembly room,' but really the chapel) where patrons gather before a session begins. Patrons enter the lobby from the recommend desk. On either side are corridors leading to the locker rooms; at the front are the doors leading to the chapel. Above these doors are painted the words, "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him" (Habakkuk 2:20).

Idaho Falls Temple Lobby

The chapel itself has doors on all four walls--patrons enter from the sides and temple workers came in from the back. When it was time to begin, they opened the double doors at the front, revealing a large mural (painted directly on the wall of the temple hall at the base of the stairs) of Jesus teaching His disciples, done by Peter M. Kamp. Patrons then pass the mural on their way up the grand staircase to begin a session.

Idaho Falls Mural and Staircase

Overall, the arrangement of the endowment rooms on this temple is more similar to the floor plan of the Laie or Cardston Temples--the rooms go around the sides of the second floor, and the celestial room is in the center of the building, under the tower. There is only about one stair between each room, so much of it is on the same level. Here is a rough sketch of the temple's second floor:

Patrons come up the grand staircase and immediately enter the creation room. The mural here provids a "birds-eye view" of the world, with patrons seemingly among the clouds. It was done by Harris T. Weberg.

Idaho Falls Creation Room

Idaho Falls Creation Room

It gives us the perspective of the Creator, which is unique to any creation room I've been in.

Idaho Falls Creation Room

Patrons then pass through into the garden room. The mural here was done by Robert L. Shephard.

Garden Room, looking toward the back of the room

Idaho Falls Garden Room

The most striking thing about the garden room are the two trees at the front (representing the two main trees in the Garden of Eden), which are not only painted, but also carved into the wall. This gives them a three-dimensional effect that made them stand out. They are technically bas-reliefs done by (not surprisingly) Torleif Knaphus, a Mormon artist with many well-known works.

Idaho Falls Garden Room

Idaho Falls Garden Room Tree Detail

The next room is the world room, with a mural done by Joseph A.F. Everett.

Idaho Falls World Room - Back (South Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room - Side (East Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room - Side (West Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room

This mural includes a pioneer wagon train crossing the landscape into the Salt Lake Valley, as well a depiction of the miracle of the seagulls. A pioneer couple tills the ground, clearly reminiscent and symbolic of Adam and Eve--the first to work on the earth. These depictions speak to temple patrons of the difficulty of this world, but also the joys and miracles we experience while living here. Heber J. Grant, upon touring this room, responded by "terming the mural as an innovation and expressing enthusiastic approval...satisfaction was given by J. Reuben Clark and other high church officials."

The terrestrial room is next:

Idaho Falls Terrestrial Room

Idaho Falls Temple Stained Glass

Patrons pass through the veil of the temple into the celestial room, which also has murals. These were done by Lee Greene Richards. On the east wall (the view patrons see as they enter), there are paintings representing the eternal rest of those who have lived the gospel of Jesus Christ. The whole room is painted as a landscape, suggesting that the celestial kingdom isn't a building or a place--it's a whole world for the Saints of God to enjoy. According to LDS doctrine, families are united for eternity.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - East Wall

A couple of sealing rooms are also located off the south side of the celestial room.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - Southeast Corner; one of the two sealing rooms is visible

On the west wall is a depiction of the vision of John the Beloved, seeing the New Jerusalem descend from the sky, as recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - West Wall (on the left are two sealing rooms)

In this interpretation, the city in the vision is Temple Square--the outlines of the Salt Lake Temple and Assembly Hall are clearly visible.

The roof of the celestial room opens up into the tower.

The ordinance rooms are not the only ones to have murals; the baptistry also has murals. These were also done by Lee Greene Richards. The main mural (visible here) is The Baptism of Jesus; on the left is The Baptism of Oliver and Joseph, and on the right is The Baptizing of a Convert. Richards also painted quotes from D&C 20:37 and D&C 128:15 over the entrance to the baptistry.

The oxen are quite unique in comparison to other temples--they were done in a very modern, even somewhat abstract, style.

This temple is lovely. It has a variety of styles (true to the time period in which it was built), and it has been lovingly restored. I highly recommend attending this temple if you get the chance.