Mole Antonelliana

Basic data

Place:	Turin
Use:	museum
Construction date:	1863-1889
Architect :	Alessandro Antonelli
Architectural style :	Historicism / eclecticism
Technical specifications
Height:	167.5 m
Building material:	brick

The Mole Antonelliana ( Italian : mole : "very large building") is a landmark of the Italian city of Turin . The pavilion-like building with its high, strongly tapering tower was built between 1863 and 1889 according to plans by the Turin architect Alessandro Antonelli (1798–1888). It was started as a synagogue on behalf of the Jewish community and was originally estimated at 280,000 lire . The architect's exaggerated ambition to build a unique, masterful structure caused the costs to explode to such an extent that 692,000 lire had already been spent in 1876, but the building was still not completed. Despite ambitious attempts, the Jewish community was finally unable to raise any more money and, thanks to a citizens' initiative, the property was taken over by the city in 1877 for 150,000 lire in Italian pensions, which in 1895 set up a museum of the Risorgimento there. The erection of a nearly 4 meter high figure of a winged genius on the top marked the completion of the building in April 1889.

With a height of 167.50 meters, the Mole Antonelliana was the second tallest accessible building in the world after the obelisk of the monument to George Washington , which was completed four years earlier, when it was completed , which was 180 centimeters higher; it exceeded the Cologne Cathedral , which was completed eight years earlier, by eleven meters. The dome construction is considered to be the utmost that can be made in traditional construction (without reinforced concrete).

Antonelli was able to achieve the enormous dimensions by strengthening the brick-walled walls with pilaster strips and thereby achieving a high degree of stability while being relatively light. Until 1953, the Mole Antonelliana was the tallest building in the world made using brick wall technology.

In August 1904, the Genius, anchored in the masonry with an iron beam, was loosened by storms to such an extent that on August 11 (or 12) (by lightning?) It buckled and got head down on a balcony. The Genius can now be viewed inside the building. Later, a four-meter, twelve-pointed star was installed as a replacement. The building survived the American bombing of the city in World War II undamaged. On May 23, 1953, the wooden tip was broken off by a tornado . The 47 m long piece fell into the small garden next door without injuring anyone. This spire was only rebuilt in 1961 - but as a stone-clad metal construction. The structure was fixed with reinforced concrete . Today (as of June 2008, see picture) a 12-pointed star body , a dodecahedron antister, is mounted at the top .

The dome of the Imperial Court in Leipzig was modeled on the Mole Antonelliana .

The building now houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema , the most important film museum in Italy. In the central axis of the building, a glass elevator cabin, only guided by ropes, leads up to the lantern above the dome. From here at a height of 85 meters you have a view over the city and, if the weather is clear, as far as the Alps.

The Mole Antonelliana is depicted on the Italian 2 cent coin . It was also the model for the official logo of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin .