The Propylaia was the entrance to the Acropolis. It acted as a gateway between the land of humans and the land of the gods on the Acropolis. The Propylaia is an impressive building in itself, and was designed to draw admiration from those who walked through it. The gateway was built on two different levels because of the uneven ground.
The north wing contained painted panels, which is why it was called the Pinakotheke, meaning "art gallery". Panel paintings were only really found in public buildings, and were rarely used to decorate people's homes.