Washington state Chief Justice Steven González is glad to be back in Olympia's Temple of Justice. The homecoming came at a good time.
For about two years, the historic structure that houses the Washington Supreme Court was closed for renovations. The Capitol Campus' oldest building reopened Oct. 28.
To have the Temple of Justice be up-to-date is a big deal, González told McClatchy during a tour of the renovations. The justices had been working from an office building in Tumwater during the renovation work.
"I think the judiciary is going to be increasingly important -- and we have to focus, given what's happening nationally," the chief justice said. "So I'm pleased that we're back in a comfortable building and ready to do that important work."
The Temple of Justice closed in summer 2022 to undergo a series of modernizations. The aging building's plumbing and its HVAC equipment and controls were obsolete. Its security systems and light fixtures were insufficient.
The project's estimated total cost comes to $33.8 million, according to a fact sheet provided by the Department of Enterprise Services (DES).
What was renovated?
In addition to the high court, the Temple of Justice holds the Washington State Law Library, the Supreme Court Clerk's Office and the Administrative Office of the Courts. It's open to the public weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Temperature and humidity problems once plagued the temple, including its courtroom, noted Jeremy English, construction manager for UMC, the main contractor for the renovation. Such fluctuations caused cracking in the woodwork.
Switching out the courtroom's lighting for LED bulbs helped cut back on the heat generated and improved the light quality, said Steve Bolinger, DES' project manager for the energy upgrades.
During certain times of year, the sun would hang low and effectively bake the building. Lack of airflow and excessive heat had caused some patrons to pass out in the courtroom. That, of course, was a safety concern.
The courtroom's evergreen-hued carpet is new, too.
HVAC equipment in the Temple of Justice was decades old, having last been replaced in the 1980s, according to the fact sheet. Updates to that system and lighting have assisted in "meeting energy reduction requirements." Temperature controls also now work to protect the Law Library's furnishings, documents and fixtures.
Security systems required upgrades to ensure the safety of staff, according to the fact sheet.
One of González's favorite changes isn't immediately obvious.
"It used to be that you go to wash your hands and it would take 20-30 minutes for the water to get tepid," he said. "Now, actually, you can get hot water, and it doesn't take much longer than it does at home -- and the water doesn't taste like metal anymore, either."
There have been other, more cosmetic upgrades. English noted that ancient, dusty window drapes are being switched out. He estimates that the temple's finishing touches will be complete by next June or July.
Another big hit among those who work in the building: switching the previous paint scheme from pink-ish to white. "I think they called it 'salmon,'" González quipped of the former color. "But I called it 'Pepto Bismol.'"
Ashley Lipford, chief administrator for the state Supreme Court, said the new paint nicely complements the interior's marble walls. Some might view white as pretty plain, but Lipford thinks it makes sense.
"Sometimes you want kind of a blank canvas in a space like this, because times change," she said. "The people that enter these spaces, they change: how they look, who they are, their backgrounds or whatnot.
"So in my opinion," Lipford continued, "it makes for a space that everyone feels like they can belong -- who can come into this space and kind of make it their own."
Temple of Justice's survival
Ira Kitmacher is an author and historian who leads Olympia tour guides for Pretty Gritty Tours. He told McClatchy that the temple was built between 1912 and 1920 for roughly $942,000. Its architectural style is referred to as American neoclassic.
Architects Walter Wilder and Harry White wanted to make it impressive, like a Grecian structure, he said. At the same time, they didn't want to dampen the authority of the grander legislative building.
"So it's much more plain," Kitmacher said. "It's sort of flat. It doesn't take away from the Capitol dome."
This isn't the first time that the Temple of Justice has had to close for renovation.
In 1949, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake damaged the building, Kitmacher said. Years later, in 1984, a structural report warned that it couldn't survive another major earthquake. After that, the temple closed for two years starting in 1987 for seismic retrofitting, he added.
It's Kitmacher's impression that great care has been taken to ensure the building continues to live on for years to come.
"To me, the Palace of Justice, the reason it's important is that it reflects the importance of government and the rule of law in the state of Washington," he said. "And for that purpose, I think the people who created it, who built it, did a great job -- an excellent job."