Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

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Gilded glory. Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

A grand and gilded sight—the heart of the Minnesota State Capitol, in Minnesota, United States, is waiting to be explored. Home to the Minnesota Senate, the House of Representatives, the governor's office and the attorney general's office, this building also houses a chamber for the Minnesota Supreme Court. Featured in today's image, it is the second-largest self-supported marble dome in the world. This dome is built in three layers, each serving a different purpose. The outermost layer, made of Georgia marble, holds itself up by sheer weight alone. Inside, a brick-and-steel cone adds support and helps drain water to withstand Minnesota's harsh winters. The innermost layer is the beautifully decorated dome visible from the rotunda. Resting at its base, twelve marble eagles stand alongside the surrounding columns. Crowning the structure is an elegant stone lantern, topped with a gleaming gold-leaf-covered finial globe.

Half a world away, there is another architectural gem in New Delhi. The Rashtrapati Bhavan serves as the official residence of the President of India. Originally built during the British Raj, it was known as the Viceroy's House until 1947 and the Government House shortly thereafter. Remarkably, it's the second-largest head-of-state residence in the world, after Italy's Quirinal Palace.