CHARLOTTESVILLE Va.
Though it may take at least six years and cost a minimum of $40 million, big changes are coming to the Rotunda, the building that is the heart of the University of Virginia.
U.Va. hired John G. Waite Associates of New York consultants in the field of historic preservation architecture to help the school figure out how to repair and authentically renovate Thomas Jefferson’s masterpiece, which was completed in 1826.
The focus also will be on bringing the Rotunda back into the daily life of students and faculty. The sounds of teaching might soon be heard routinely in the building, which originally served as a library and a classroom in the 19th century.
“It’s been 30 years since the last renovation,” said Brian Hogg, senior preservation planner in the office of the university architect. “We’re just beginning to think about how to move ahead with reconstruction.”
The consultants, who have helped restore hundreds of historic buildings in the country, took about 10 months to examine the round structure and dig through archives. Their findings were detailed in a 700-page report.
The report, which has not been made public, examines almost every aspect of the Rotunda’s history, including the major renovations to Jefferson’s design by famous architect Stanford White after the fire of 1895 and the restoration in 1976 led by U.Va. professor Frederick D. Nichols. The consultants also looked at the forensic evidence of how the Rotunda was originally built.
