Friedrich von Thiersch, Ansicht v. d. Gallerie str., II. Project-Skizze. Bl. 3., part of a collection of draw
ings and sketches for the reconstruction project of the Kunstverein building

dated 1889–99

In the spring of 1889, the architect Friedrich von Thiersch was commissioned to rebuild the Kunstverein building in the Hofgarten. On December 21, 1890, the extended building was opened to the public. The most prominent exterior element was the large glass dome that enclosed the so-called staircase hall in the center of the building. The former three floors inside were converted into two—ground floor and first floor—while the original fourteen rooms on the first and second floors were combined into three representative exhibition halls with skylights. The upward extension of the adjoining Hofbrunnenhaus to the west allowed the Kunstverein to gain a fourth large-scale gallery space.