Glossary of Architectural Terms
Below you find a list of common architectural terms, sorted alphabetically.
Note this is a work in progress, more terms will be added soon.
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arcade |
A series of arches supported by columns or piers, either attached to a wall or freestanding. Examples: - Plaza Mayor, Madrid - Place des Vosges, Paris |
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balustrade |
A railing with supporting balusters (small closely spaced posts). Example: - Bourla Theater, Antwerp |
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campanile |
A freestanding bell tower, usually near a church. Examples: - Campanile di San Marco, Venice - Houses of Parliament Clock Tower, London |
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cantilever |
A beam or other projection that is unsupported at one end. Example: - Falling Water, Mill Run |
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capital |
The top part of a column or pillar. |
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composite order |
Very similar to the Corinthian order, but here ionic volutes are added to the capital. Examples: - Pantheon, Rome - US Capitol, Washington DC |
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copula |
A small, domed structure on top of a roof. Examples: - Massachusetts State House, Boston - St. Peter's Basilica, Rome |
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corbie gable |
A gable with a series of steplike projections. |
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corinthian order |
The most ornate of the classical Greek orders, characterized by a fluted column and a capital decorated with acanthus leaves. Examples: - Pantheon, Rome - US Capitol, Washington DC |
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cornice |
A molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building. |
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crenelation |
A wall at the top of a fortified building with regular gaps allowing defenders to shoot from. Also known as battlement. Example: - Steen, Antwerp |
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curtain wall |
A nonstructural exterior wall, usually of glass and steel. Examples: - Lever House, New York City - UN Secretariat, New York City |
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dome |
A vaulted structure with an elliptical plan, usually a cross-section of a sphere, used to distribute an equal thrust in all directions. Examples: - US Capitol, Washington DC - St. Peter's Basilica, Rome |
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doric order |
The oldest of the five classical orders, characterized by a fluted column with no base and a plain capital. Example: - Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC |
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dormer |
A window in a small, often gabled structure set vertically on a sloping roof, allowing light to enter the attic. Example: - Palacio de Santa Cruz, Madrid |
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exedra |
Semicircular, often domed recess. Example: - Trajan's Markets, Rome |
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fanlight |
A semicircular window, usually located above a door. |
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finial |
A sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure. |
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flemish bond |
A brickwork bond with alernating headers (short side) and stretchers (long side) in each course (row). |
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frieze |
The horizontal part of a classical entablure just below the cornice, often decorated with carvings. Examples: - Pantheon, Rome - Jefferson Memorial, Washington DC |
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gable |
The triangular section of a wall on the side of a building with a double-pitched roof. |
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gargoyle |
A grotesquely carved figure that serves as a spout to carry water from a gutter away from the building. Examples: - Notre-Dame, Paris - Sacré-Coeur, Paris |
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ionic order |
One of the classical orders characterized by a fluted column, a molded base and a capital decorated with volutes. Example: - Palais Garnier, Paris |
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keystone |
The central wedge-shaped stone at the crown of an arch that locks all parts together. Examples: - Arc de Triomf, Barcelona - Arch of Titus, Rome |
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mausoleum |
A building constructed as a burial chamber for a deceased person or persons. Examples: - Mausoleum of Augustus, Rome - Taj Mahal, Agra - Grant's Tomb |
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mudéjar architecture |
A style of Spanish architecture employed by Muslims after the Christian reconquest. Characterized by a fusion of Islamic with Gothic and Romanesque elements. Example: - Arc de Triomf, Barcelona |
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oriel |
A projecting bay window on an upper floor. |
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pediment |
A wide, low-pitched gable, often surmounting a colonnade. Examples: - Pantheon, Rome - Palais Bourbon, Paris |
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pilaster |
A rectangular column with a base, shaft and capital projecting from a wall as an ornamental motif. Example: - City Hall, Philadelphia |
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portico |
A roofed porch usually supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of the building. Examples: - White House, Washington - Pantheon, Rome |
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quatrefoil |
A decorative element shaped in the form of four leaves. Examples: - Ca' d'Oro, Venice - Notre Dame, Paris |
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reinforced concrete |
Concrete containing steel rods or metal netting to increase its tensile strength. |
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richardsonian romanesque |
A Romanesque revival style named after the American 19th century architect H.H. Richardson. Characterised by heavy arches and masonry walls. Examples: - Trinity Church, Boston - Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto |
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rose window |
A circular window, usually found in churches and symmetrically decorated with stained glass. Examples: - Notre-Dame, Paris - National Cathedral, Washington, DC |
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rotunda |
A circular room, often with a dome. Examples: - National Gallery of Art, Washington DC - Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco |
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steeple |
A tall ornamental structure, usually surmounting a tower and ending in a spire. Example: - Independence Hall, Philadelphia |
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turret |
A small tower projected on a building. Examples: - Old Town Hall, Munich - Powder Tower, Prague |
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tuscan order |
A classical order characterized by an unfluted column and a plain base and capital. Example: - Union Station, Chicago |
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vault |
An arched structure of stone, brick or reinforced concred forming a ceiling or roof over a wholly or partially enclosed space. Examples: - Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, Berlin - Grand Central Terminal, New York City |
