Mole Antonelliana, Turin

Designed by A. Antonelli in 1863 as an Israelite temple, the Mole later became the property of the Municipality, which completed it in 1897. With a square plan, the building has a massive lower section whose façade, preceded by a pronaos, is of classical design. Rising above it is the large quadrangular dome, surmounted by a small temple that supports the slender spire. The Mole Antonelliana, now home to the National Cinema Museum, with its height of 167.50 m, is one of the tallest buildings in Europe. The interior decorations, designed by A. Rigotti, were partially destroyed during consolidation work begun in 1930, which created an independent reinforced concrete structure inside the temple, replacing the original Antonellian framework.