Ohio
About this photograph
The Texas State Capitol rises beyond the sweeping walls of its underground extension, joining two very different chapters of Austin architecture in one symmetrical black-and-white view.
Most visitors approach the Capitol from the surrounding grounds and look toward its famous dome. A walk into the Capitol Extension reveals a far less familiar perspective. From within its open-air “reverse rotunda,” the curved granite walls frame the historic Capitol above, creating a striking contrast between the original landmark and the modern structure hidden beneath its grounds.
Completed in 1993, the underground extension was designed to provide additional space without competing with the Capitol’s historic appearance. Its open-air rotunda measures 60 feet across—the same diameter as the rotunda inside the Capitol—and mirrors elements of the older building’s design.
From this lower viewpoint, the Capitol appears to rise from within the circular courtyard. Repeating arches, windows, columns and Texas stars lead the eye upward toward the dome and the Goddess of Liberty standing against the sky.
This architectural photograph brings a sense of Texas history, civic pride and formal symmetry to an office, study, law practice, government space or Austin-inspired interior. It also makes a meaningful gift for Texans, architecture enthusiasts, legislators, attorneys, graduates and anyone with a connection to the Lone Star State.
