MARBLE FACADE OF WASHINGTON D.C. TEMPLE
Preparations for renovating the stone facade of the building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) in Maryland have just begun. Thousands of cubic metres of white Alabama marble need a thorough renovation. The building of Washington D.C. Temple is located in Kensington, half an hour drive from the centre of Washington.
The temple was made of reinforced concrete and natural stone. Building commenced in 1968 and the official blessing of the building took place six years later. Three towers in the east refer to the leading role of Melchizedek's priesthood, whereas three west towers symbolise Aaron's priesthood.
The stone needs a thorough renovation, so do the temple's interiors. On one hand, it is caused by external factors. On the other hand, however, marble facade of the temple suffered a lot after the earthquake in 2011. The earthquake was so big that the tops of the four towers fell down on the ground. So did some parts of the stone facade. Some damages were fixed in early September 2016. In spite of that, however, the stone facade must undergo more labour intensive and expensive works. The renovation works will start this year. Gap filling, replacing damaged slabs and cleaning stone will finish in 2020.
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