CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda at the University of Virginia is ensnared in a spider’s web of scaffolding these days, the focus of a $58.3 million renovation of the World Heritage Site.
The Rotunda face-lift is part construction zone – hardhats, safety glasses, big equipment – part art restoration.
In its interior, also veined with scaffolding, workers are crouched in cramped spaces shoveling out red clay beneath the foundation to make room for modern mechanical features, such as wiring and plumbing. In another area, two patterns of brick have been laid out, like carpet samples, before a final selection is made.
Outside, a crew uses a special concoction and brushes to scrub years of grime from a marble balustrade.
To ensure all this work doesn’t stress the nearly two-century-old structure, a $500,000 laser monitoring system targets 130 points to detect any movement in the brick walls.