Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/155

Rh sion of height and freedom. Their square sections break the roundness of the tower's circle.

The whole composition offers a chaste simplicity, an impressive dignity, and a challenging individuality which should not only please the people as it already has the critics, but should gain for Oregon's capitol wide renown.

While the form of the building is stripped of ornamentation provision is made for the appropriate embellishment of the edifice. Flanking the main entrance are two detached groups of sculpture whose themes will be drawn from Oregon history. On the opposite side the Circuit Rider statue will be moved to center in the ellipse of the driveway, and to front across the street toward the campus of Willamette University. On the interior the rotunda is to be done in mosaic reviewing the history of Oregon and depicting the figures who have been identified with its development.

The architects have announced their intention of selecting only the best of materials for use in construction, preferring those from Oregon if they are suitable and available. The exterior will be faced with stone.

The distinctive beauty of the building from the outside does not minimize in any degree the utility of the interior from the standpoint of convenience of the working staff and the patrons of the public offices. The principal administrative offices are grouped on the first floor: Secretary of state, state treasurer, state tax commission, state land board, board of control, budget director. On the second floor, which is reached by broad stairways leading from the central lobby, are the legislative chambers at each end of the structure, and the governor's suite in the south wing, between the legislative halls, offices of the president of the senate, speaker of the house and committee rooms for the legislative staff and committees. Additional committee rooms are arranged on fourth floor levels at the two ends of the building. There are no offices in the central tower. In the basement working offices are arranged in the south half, storage space in the north half with a cafe and barber shop in the center.

Provision will be made for the proper lighting, heating and