expansion. An Imperial Forum (Kaiserforum) was planned, in which a two-winged structure reaching beyond the Ring Road, with the twin museums (Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum) as flanks and terminating at the old Imperial Mews (the Hofstallungen, not to be confused with the much older Stallburg) of Fischer von Erlach. The project was led by Gottfried Semper and later by Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer. The museums were completed in 1891, but construction of the rest of the forum dragged on slowly and conflicted since because of rising costs and no real function could be found for the enormous construction project. In 1913, the south-west wing, the New Castle (Neue Burg), was completed. However, the Imperial Forum was never completed and remains a torso. The New Castle wing today houses a number of museums (the Ephesos Museum, the Collection of Arms and Armour, the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments, and the Museum of Ethnology) as well as some reading rooms of the national library. The Hofburg Congress Centre is also located here. Coins The Hofburg featured as the main motif on the 20 euro Renaissance commemorative coin. The coin shows the Swiss Gate of the palace. This gate bears Ferdinand I's coat-of-arms and titles. It is flanked by two soldiers of the period as a reminder of the unsettled times which saw Vienna besieged by Turkish armies in 1529, as well as the struggles between Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation. Images See also Laxenburg castles Hofburg, Innsbruck Buda Castle Prague Castle Bratislava Castle Notes Literature External links Hofburg Wien – official site, information on the Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection Wien.info about Hofburg. Website of HOFBURG Vienna (Hofburg Congress Centre) Website of the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra The Hofburg Complex Hofburg Imperial Palace information and photography Panoramic virtual views inside the Hofburg Imperial Palace Collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum – Located in the Neue Burg Hofburg's Armory, photo gallery in Flickr Palaces in Vienna Buildings and structures in Innere Stadt Imperial residences in Austria Presidential residences Museums in Vienna Historic house museums in Austria Baroque architecture in Vienna Neoclassical architecture in Austria