Stunning is one of several superlatives that comes to mind when you stare up 390 feet to the peak of the gilded dome on San Francisco’s City Hall. The design was inspired by the Dôme des Invalides which is not surprising because the architect, Arthur Brown, Jr. studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Built in 1915, this 23.5 karat gold leaf dome is the tallest in the U.S. and the world’s fifth largest.
