Church Office Building facts for kids

Quick facts for kids LDS Church Office Building
General information
Location	50 E. North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah
Coordinates	40°46′16″N 111°53′22″W / 40.77111°N 111.88944°W / 40.77111; -111.88944
Construction started	1962
Completed	1972
Cost	$31 million
Owner	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Height
Antenna spire	435 ft (133 m)
Roof	420 ft (130 m)
Technical details
Floor count	28
Design and construction
Architect	George Cannon Young

The Church Office Building is a tall, important building in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's where many people work to help manage The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) around the world. Think of it as the main office for a huge global organization!

This building is 420 feet (128 meters) tall at its roof. It has 28 floors! It's located right in the Temple Square area. For many years, from 1973 until 1998, it was the tallest building in the entire state of Utah.

Building History

The Church Office Building was designed by an architect named George Cannon Young. It cost about $31 million to build. Construction started in 1962 and finished in 1972.

The building was officially opened on July 24, 1975. However, parts of it were already being used by 1972. Once it was finished, the leaders of the LDS Church brought many of their offices together here. This helped them manage the growing church around the world more easily.

In 1985, the Genealogical Society, which helps people find their family history, moved to another building nearby. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, a huge picture of a figure skater was put on the west side of the building.

What Happens Inside?

Many different kinds of work happen inside the Church Office Building. People here help create church magazines and translate church materials into many languages. They also help organize missionary efforts around the world.

Workers in the building also help produce church films. They even handle things related to building new temples. It's a busy place with lots of different jobs!

Cool Features of the Building

The Lobby

When you walk into the lobby of the building, you'll see a very large painting called a mural. This mural shows a scene from the Bible called the "Great Commission."

There's also a special statue in the lobby. It honors the sacrifices made by early Mormon pioneers. The statue shows a husband and wife burying their baby. An inscription on the statue says, "That the struggles, sacrifices and the sufferings of the faithful pioneers and the cause they represented shall never be forgotten."

Building Design

The first four floors of the building spread out like wings on the west and east sides. The north side of these wings doesn't have windows. Instead, they have stone designs with large oval shapes. These ovals contain maps of the two halves of the Earth.

The main tower of the building has a cool pattern on its south, west, and east sides. It has many thin, vertical lines made of stone. These lines are next to narrow windows. This design might remind you a little bit of the old World Trade Center buildings in New York City. The north side of the tower has a blank wall in the middle. This part holds the building's elevators and other services.

Views from the Top

There's an observation deck on the 26th floor of the building. It's open to the public for free! From here, you can get amazing views of the area.

You can see Antelope Island and the Great Salt Lake to the northwest. To the north and east, you can see the Wasatch Mountains. Looking south, you'll see the city skyline. To the west, you can spot the Oquirrh Mountains. And right below you, to the west, you'll have a great view of Temple Square.

Beautiful Gardens

You can also take a free tour of the gardens around the building. These gardens are completely redesigned every six months! They feature many different kinds of interesting plants and flowers from all over the world.

See also

In Spanish: Church Office Building para niños