Dome

View looking east down Argyle Street and over the bridge; Pulteney Bridge is a bridge that crosses the River Avon, in Bath. It was completed in 1774 and is designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam, whose working drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum, and is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides. Early in 18th century Bath, there had been a steady advance of streets, squares and crescents northwards. Now Adam was brought in to design Pulteney Bridge, a skillful adaptation of Palladio’s unexecuted design for the Rialto Bridge, Venice. Pulteney Bridge stood for less than 20 years in the form that Adam created. In 1792 alterations to enlarge the shops marred the elegance of the façades. The original facade was restored in 1951. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 7/18/2010)