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Steel rods of A-bomb Dome to be repainted a color seen in A-bombing aftermath

by Hiroaki Watanabe, Staff Writer

On March 24, the City of Hiroshima consulted with a committee of experts on repairs for the A-bomb Dome, a World Heritage site in Naka Ward, Hiroshima. The dome has been deteriorating at a rapid pace. The participants at the meeting concluded that the discolored steel rods found in the dome area as well as the spiral staircase and other elements will be repainted a different color, a shade that was seen in the aftermath of the atomic bombing.

A total of 11 committee members (out of 13) took part in the meeting held in Naka Ward. To propose a color for the repainting effort, the city analyzed a photo of the dome that was taken by the U.S. military around October and November 1945. Based on this analysis, a dark brown shade was proposed and no objections were made by the committee members.

The steel rods were first painted during the second preservation project for the dome in 1989. After the committee meeting ended, Masayuki Miura, a professor in the Graduate School of Hiroshima University and an expert on the history of architecture in Japan, spoke to the media, saying, “Due to aging, the steel rods of the dome now look somewhat pink. I think the dome can convey the miserable conditions of that time more explicitly by adopting this new color, which is close to the color seen in the aftermath of the atomic bombing.”

At the meeting, the city also presented its proposed repair methods for the steel rods, brick joints, windows, and doorways of the dome, based on the results of a probe that the city carried out in fiscal year 2014. Regarding the proposal for preserving the steel rods by solidifying the attached rust, the committee members said that the rust should be removed completely.

The city plans to undertake these repairs in fiscal year 2018. The city will now modify the proposed repairs and present its revised proposal at the next committee meeting.

(Originally published on March 25, 2017)

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