San Rafael, CA – Work will begin next week to install new roof materials on the library dome of the Marin County Civic Center as part of a multiyear project to replace the iconic building’s roof.
Passers-by will see the Civic Center’s dome change from blue to gray to red to white to blue as work continues on the roof replacement project.Overseen by the Marin County Department of Public Works, Phase One of construction began in March 2018 on the Administration Wing and the dome of the Marin County Free Library’s Civic Center branch. Work will continue on the longer Hall of Justice section of the Civic Center starting with installation of scaffolding in spring 2019.
The previous roof materials, consisting of layers of recoating and patchwork, have been removed over the past three months, and the dome is now ready to receive several applications of new materials. The process will be visually noticeable as the materials are applied to the dome, starting with a primer and followed by base and exterior coats. The primer will be a rust-red color that will cover the entire dome. The second coat will be a white base coat, after which the “Marin Blue” color exterior coat will be applied.
DPW staff, in conjunction with contracted design professionals and architectural historians, performed extensive research on the “Marin Blue” color, including locating a swatch of the original material. An extensive process was undertaken with the roof material supplier, Sika Corporation, to create and evaluate multiple color samples prior to the development of the final “Marin Blue” product.
All work on the project is being completed utilizing the U. S. Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The standards dictate the process and procedures required to undertake a rehabilitation of this size and scope.
The work on the dome will begin mid-week during the first week of June and take 30-45 days to complete. The removal of the roof materials on the Administration Wing will continue through the application of the new roof on the library dome. In the coming months, the same application process on the library dome will be utilized on the Administration Wing.
The roof replacement for the Administration Wing and the library dome is expected to be completed this fall, at which point preliminary work will start on the Hall of Justice, weather permitting. DPW intends to refurbish the building’s skylights as a separate project after the roof replacement is complete.