The existing three railings on the north, south, and east sides of the rotunda at the fourth level of the Illinois Capitol were reconfigured in the past with a new top rail made of steel mesh on top of a steel channel. This design element was simply to create a railing that was higher than the original presumably for safety, but one that had no connection to the historic nature of the original railing.

CJP Architects had the pleasure of working with the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (OAC) to find a solution to achieve the current code height for guardrails that is more sympathetic to the architecture of the Illinois Capitol. The solution maintains the existing cast iron railing and adds a new cast iron feature and a wood handrail matching a profile on an adjacent stair.