Art Gallery in Düsseldorf

Completed in 1880, this imposing building in Italian Renaissance style was originally the seat of a provincial parliament and was crowned by a mansard roof. After a chequered history, it has now been gutted and redesigned to house the modern art collection of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The courtyard, which had been filled with extension structures in the course of its history, hasbeen cleared and the raised hall recon- structed to its former dimensions. A powerful new roof, reminiscent of that on the Basilica in Vicenza, has been erected over the cornice. Despite its size, this self-supporting glass dome is so well-proportioned that it seems to from a natural part of the original structure.