Dome Building, Chattanooga
The Dome Building is a striking example of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture, known for its elaborate detailing and vertical emphasis. This six-story office building, complete with a basement and a domed cupola, uses architectural techniques to draw the eye upward. The progressively more decorative upper floors and strong vertical lines create a sense of grandeur, culminating in the domed roof feature that gives the building its name. Two entrances are present: one centrally located on the west side, and another at the southwest corner bay, both designed with classical architectural elements.
The main entrance on the west side is recessed and flanked by Tuscan-order pilasters, which rest on plain bases and mirror the unadorned lines of the entablature above. A two-story portico further emphasizes the verticality of the structure, with a fan window on the second story, highlighted by a keystone arch and foliated decorative motifs in the spandrels. Above this, the second-floor windows are separated by short brick pilasters, while the third through fifth floors maintain a visual unity, incorporating paired windows divided by tall pilasters adorned with horizontal brick detailing and circular stone beads.
The fifth-floor windows introduce fan-shaped arches framed by radiating brick voussoirs, with decorative triangular patterns in the spandrels, adding depth and texture. This floor serves as the base for the sixth level, which is capped with an ornate six-layer cornice featuring patterned stonework and dentil molding.
The sixth and top floor continues the intricate detailing with groupings of three smaller arched windows, each framed by radiating bricks. The roofline is punctuated by simple antefixae, maintaining the classical influence seen throughout the design. With its historically significant details and grand proportions, the Dome Building remains an architectural landmark in Chattanooga, embodying the elegance and craftsmanship of early 20th-century design.
The main entrance on the west side is recessed and flanked by Tuscan-order pilasters, which rest on plain bases and mirror the unadorned lines of the entablature above. A two-story portico further emphasizes the verticality of the structure, with a fan window on the second story, highlighted by a keystone arch and foliated decorative motifs in the spandrels. Above this, the second-floor windows are separated by short brick pilasters, while the third through fifth floors maintain a visual unity, incorporating paired windows divided by tall pilasters adorned with horizontal brick detailing and circular stone beads.
The fifth-floor windows introduce fan-shaped arches framed by radiating brick voussoirs, with decorative triangular patterns in the spandrels, adding depth and texture. This floor serves as the base for the sixth level, which is capped with an ornate six-layer cornice featuring patterned stonework and dentil molding.
The sixth and top floor continues the intricate detailing with groupings of three smaller arched windows, each framed by radiating bricks. The roofline is punctuated by simple antefixae, maintaining the classical influence seen throughout the design. With its historically significant details and grand proportions, the Dome Building remains an architectural landmark in Chattanooga, embodying the elegance and craftsmanship of early 20th-century design.
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Dome Building on Map
Sight Name: Dome Building
Sight Location: Chattanooga, USA (See walking tours in Chattanooga)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Chattanooga, USA (See walking tours in Chattanooga)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Create Your Own Walk in Chattanooga
Creating your own self-guided walk in Chattanooga is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Chattanooga Introduction Walking Tour
Boredom is hard to come by in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Sitting on the banks of the Tennessee River in the southeastern part of the state, its official nickname is the "Scenic City", alluding to the surrounding Appalachian Mountains. On top of this, there are multiple unofficial monikers like the "River City", "Chatt", "Nooga", and "Chattown".
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles