Taylorsville Temple Receives 2023 Pinnacle Award

Designed to reflect the architecture of European Cathedrals and the craftsmanship of early Utah pioneers, the Taylorsville Temple inspires awe with its picturesque arched windows, carved finials, and ornate frieze detailing. The project exterior incorporates 52,000 SF of Botticino Limestone, a material that has embodied the architectural beauty of natural stone for more than 1500 years. Typical stone modules ranged in size from 1’-7” x 2’-2” to 5’-9” x 2’2”.  To meet the seismic requirements of the area, each module was 4cm thick, resulting in individual weights ranging from 77 to 278 pounds.

The selected limestone exhibits diverse veining and color patterns, but the aesthetic specifications for the project required consistent coloring with only slight variations. To accommodate this, the design team worked closely with the stone supplier/fabricator to select blocks from a deeper than usual layer depth, resulting in more even coloring. This allowed the veneer and cubic stone pieces to be cut two high from each block, reducing waste and the overall cost of the stone for the project. The design also incorporated two different stone color tones, with the veneer being slightly darker than the lighter cubic accent pieces. The fabricator was able to achieve the desired aesthetic from the specified limestone by creating two very unique, custom finishes.

The temple incorporates more than 20 unique stone elements, including 6 pilaster designs, 4 types of finials, 5 different window arch sizes, 4 types of grand windows, as well as cornices, entablatures, and rails. The intricacy and diversity of the design required painstaking precision from the installation teams. Over 10,000 exterior pieces were installed in just over 20 months, creating a striking stone monument for the Taylorsville community.