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Kansas Statehouse
Preservation & Restoration

For more than 140 years, the Kansas Statehouse has stood as a silent witness to historic executive, legislative, and judicial events - from the administration of prohibitionist John P. St. John (1878-1882), to the populist war of 1893, to ten school segregation cases between 1881 and 1941. As project architects for the statehouse restoration, Treanor Architects takes pride in its role to ensure the long-term preservation of this architectural and historic treasure.

Historic Structures Report

The State of Kansas awarded Treanor Architects the contract for the restoration project in 1999. A project of this magnitude requires careful study and execution to ensure efficient use of existing and new spaces and appropriate care of irreplaceable historic materials. To that end, the firm’s first task was the completion of a historic structures report. The report, which includes an architectural history, materials analysis, preservation plan, and master plan, guides all construction activities.

Multi-phase Restoration

The multi-phase Kansas Statehouse restoration, currently underway, includes restoration of the first through fifth floors and rehabilitation/expansion of the basement. Work on the House and Senate Chambers, east-wing offices, and underground 550-car parking garage is now complete. The basement is being remodeled to create a first-rate visitors' center, additional office space, modern classrooms, and a full-service cafeteria. Grade-level skylights provide natural lighting to ground-floor corridors and adjacent office spaces. Treanor Architects has carefully designed the project to ensure that both the Statehouse and legislative chambers are open throughout construction.

The final result will be the successful restoration of historic materials; maximization of existing spaces by converting underutilized areas, such as the basement, into usable spaces; creation of new spaces, such as offices and parking, in non-obtrusive sub-grade areas; and improvement of the building’s function through the use of new building systems and computer technology.

Project completion is scheduled for 2011.

For more information on the history of the Kansas Statehouse:
Kansas State Capitol History
Kansas State Capitol Renovation History
Kansas State Capitol Home