The AOC has been working with the United States Senate over the past few years to oversee professional conservators to restore the
Brumidi Corridors to their original appearance. Work is currently being done to restore the “Zodiac Corridor” in the Brumidi Corridors.
A temporary wall constructed in 2003 to create an office out of the Zodiac Corridor was removed on March 11, 2013, following completion of the majority of the conservation of the ceiling and wall murals in this area. All restoration work in the area is expected to be in April. The removal of the wall restored the integrity of Brumidi’s design for the corridors and allows the sunlight flow back into the intersection of the north and west corridors.
First painted by
Constantino Brumidi in the 1850s, the corridors that bear his name are on the first floor of the Senate–side (north wing) of the Capitol. Known as the “Capitol extension” they were constructed between 1852 and 1859. Brumidi based his decorative scheme for the ceiling and walls on Raphael’s Loggia in the Vatican.
The walls and ceiling decorations have been repaired many times during the past 160 years. Before more modern preservation work, such repair work included repeating retouching, repainting and varnishing. Over time, these treatments changed the original appearance making it appear darker and “flatter” than it was when first created.
