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.

	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

	balustrade
	A railing with supporting balusters (small closely spaced posts). Example: - Bourla Theater, Antwerp

	capital
	The top part of a column or pillar.

	composite order
	Very similar to the Corinthian order, but here ionic volutes are added to the capital. Examples: - Pantheon, Rome - US Capitol, Washington DC

	copula
	A small, domed structure on top of a roof. Examples: - Massachusetts State House, Boston - St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

	corbie gable
	A gable with a series of steplike projections.

	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

	cornice
	A molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building.

	curtain wall
	A nonstructural exterior wall, usually of glass and steel. Examples: - Lever House, New York City - UN Secretariat, New York City

	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

	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

	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

	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

	exedra
	Semicircular, often domed recess. Example: - Trajan's Markets, Rome

	fanlight
	A semicircular window, usually located above a door.

	finial
	A sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure.

	frieze
	The horizontal part of a classical entablure just below the cornice, often decorated with carvings. Examples: - Pantheon, Rome - Jefferson Memorial, Washington DC

	gable
	The triangular section of a wall on the side of a building with a double-pitched roof.

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	oriel
	A projecting bay window on an upper floor.

	pediment
	A wide, low-pitched gable, often surmounting a colonnade. Examples: - Pantheon, Rome - Palais Bourbon, Paris

	pilaster
	A rectangular column with a base, shaft and capital projecting from a wall as an ornamental motif. Example: - City Hall, Philadelphia

	portico
	A roofed porch usually supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of the building. Examples: - White House, Washington - Pantheon, Rome

	reinforced concrete
	Concrete containing steel rods or metal netting to increase its tensile strength.

	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

	steeple
	A tall ornamental structure, usually surmounting a tower and ending in a spire. Example: - Independence Hall, Philadelphia

	turret
	A small tower projected on a building. Examples: - Old Town Hall, Munich - Powder Tower, Prague

	tuscan order
	A classical order characterized by an unfluted column and a plain base and capital. Example: - Union Station, Chicago

	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

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