The Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB) on Temple Square in Salt Lake City is entering the newest phase of its storied 114-year history. Select portions of the building reopened to the public today, June 30, 2025, after a 2.5-year renovation.
Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors can once again access the lobby, the Garden Restaurant (located in the lobby), the mezzanine and level 1L of this stately building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other parts of the building remain under renovation.
“We tried to create a space that appeals to everyone,” said Melody Riches, the project’s lead interior designer. “We wanted to create what might feel like the family room of Temple Square. We wanted everyone of every age to come to this gathering space and really feel welcome.”
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
To create that effect, the lobby and mezzanine are lighter and brighter with a more varied assortment of seating in its central gathering space. The overall design has been simplified to highlight enhanced historical elements such as the original plaster detail and stain glass ceiling. The color palette is muted with an energizing turquoise accent.
Riches and her team also wove historical elements into the Garden Restaurant (formerly known as the Nauvoo Café). The restaurant now has its own separate public entrance on Main Street right off the Temple Square Plaza as well as South Temple Street — harking back to the days when the JSMB was known as the Hotel Utah (1911–1987) and the Union Pacific Bank occupied the space where the restaurant now sits. Visitors can see a photograph of the original entrance to the bank when they walk in. The black tile walls are a nod to the same pattern and color as was once found in the Crossroads Grill in the Hotel Utah’s lower level. The mosaic pattern of the floor tile is the same pattern that was originally found in the Hotel Utah.
The Garden Restaurant features familiar items including Lion House rolls, turkey pot pies and a selection of soups, salads and made-to-order sandwiches.
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Visitors who come through the 1L entrance via the parking garage will discover another historical nugget. A display case features three different eras of original place settings from the Hotel Utah: a 1911 collection with original silver, a 1970s setting with a photograph of it laid out in the President’s Room and a place setting from the Roof Restaurant in the early 1990s.
This latest iteration of the JSMB shows how constant evolution has been a consistent part of this building’s history. The building has undergone significant renovation about every 20 years, Riches said.
“This building has had to continue to evolve and work for the generation that is using the building during that time,” Riches said. For example, she noted that the lobby was entirely red in the 1970s, and the building once had an area that was sometimes used for car shows. “Sometimes things shift and change.”
Riches said embracing change hasn’t always been easy on this project, but “if you are willing to soften your heart and work through it, ultimately you’ll be able to sit back and say, ‘This has done its job. It’s time to move on to the next thing.’”
Today, the building plays a unique role on Temple Square. It serves everyone from employees who have office space there, the general public needing a bite to eat or a place to rest their feet and parents who might need to take a break with their children.
“Some spaces on Temple Square are exhibit-focused. This is a place with a come-and-stay feel,” Riches said. “We have places to eat. There are areas where mothers can take their kids to a quiet corner and sit for a few minutes.”
As Riches and others continue to work on other parts of the JSMB, she said she’s been pleased to overhear positive feedback.
“I’ve heard them say, ‘Wow, this feels so different.’ And that’s what we want,” Riches said. “The Joseph Smith Memorial Building is a place where people feel different and they want to be here. I hope everyone will feel that way when they come and see it.”
