Dome

Aerial view looking down at facade, granite basin and front gardens (from the top of the Berliner Dom); The main front facing on the Lustgarten is a v of 18 Ionic columns in antis, 83.7 m in length and 19.4 m from the ground to the top of the cornice. It evoked the Stoa Poikile in Athens; the windowless inner wall of the portico had murals painted by Schinkel depicting an idealized history of civilization (destroyed in World War II). The attic protecting the masonry dome of the central rotunda is cubic in form, giving the Museum a simple dominating silhouette and avoiding competition with the nearby cathedral cupola. Until 1845, it was called the Königliches Museum (Royal Museum) and housed the Prussian royal family's art collection. The interior was destroyed in 1945. Since restoration work in 1966, it houses the Antikensammlung (antique collection) of the Berlin State Museums. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.oxfordartonline.com/ (accessed 6/13/2012)