Professional Documents
Culture Documents
apse; a semicircular or polygonal termination or recess in a building, usually vaulted and used especially
at the end of a choir in a church. \ \
arabesque; Intricate overall pattern of geometric
forms or stylized plants used in Muhammadan countries.
arch' A curved or pointed structural member which is supported at the sides or ends
architrave; The lowest of the 3 main parts of an entablature that rests directly on top
of a column
attic;
barrel vault; A straight, continuous arched vault or ceiling, either semicircular or semi-elliptical in profile
basilica; A Roman building, used for public administration, having a large rectangular central nave lit by
a clerestory and with an aisle on each side and an apse at the end.
bays; A part of a building marked off by vertical elements, such as columns or pilasters
clearstory; An upper story row of windows; part of an interior wall rising above the adjacent roof with
corbel ; Corbel: A projecting bracket of stone, brick, wood, metal, etc., which supports a cornice, arch,
entablature ; the top of an Order, horizontally divided into cornice, frieze, and architrave, supported by
a colonnade
flat arch ;
fluting; A series of shallow vertical grooves, as on a column
gabled ; That part of the wall immediately under the end of a pitched roof, cut into a triangular shape by
key stone; The central stone, sometimes carved, in the curve of an arch or vault; the central voussoir of
an arch
lintel; A supporting wood or stone beam across the top of an opening, such as that of a window or door
or fireplace
naive; The central part of a church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation.
ogee arch; An arch consisting of two opposed ogee curves meeting in a point at the top.
pier;
pilaster; A shallow rectangular column projecting only slightly from a wall and, in classical architecture,
prostyle;
ribbed vault;
A section of the roof of a church made by building a skeleton of two or more ribs and later filling
Round arch ;
soffit; The underside of an architectural structure such as an arch, balcony, or overhanging eaves
spandrel; The approximately triangular shape between the curve of an arch and the rectangular frame
above it
tracery; A pattern of interlacing lines - esp. one in a stained glass window - often made of wood, stone or
cast iron.
trigylph; The grooved projecting blocks between the metopes in a Doric frieze
tudorarch; Flattened pointed arches in door, door surrounds, window heads, fireplaces, etc.
tympanum; The semi-circular or triangular recessed space forming the center of a pediment; typically
decorated
ziggurat;