ACTIVE REVIEW CENTER TEL. NO. 433-11-06

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURAL TERM

PEDIMENT - In classical Architecture, the triangular gable end of the roof

- above the horizontal cornice, often filled with sculpture. Also

called a Fronton when used to crown a subordinate feature, as a

window.

- In later work, a surface used ornamentally over doors or

windows.

PARTS:

EPITHEDES - The upper member of the cornice of an entablature.

RANKING CORNICE - A cornice following the slope of a gable, pediment, or roof

TYMPANUM, TYMPAN - The triangular or segmental space enclosed by a pediment or Architecture.

- Any space similarly marked off or bounded, as above a window, or between the

lintel of a door 7 the Arch above.

ACROTERION, ACROTER

ACROTERIUM - Strictly a pedestal at corners or peak of a roof to support an ornament itself.

CAVETTO, GORGE, HOLLOW,

THROAT, TRACHILUS - A hollow member or round concave molding containing at least the quadrant

of a circle, used in cornices & between the tori of bases, etc. erroneously called

scotta, which has a noncircular curvature. ENTABLATURE - In classical Architecture, the elaborated beam member carried by the columns,

Horizontally divided into architrave (below), freeze, and cornice (above). The

proportions & detailing are different for each other, & strictly prescribed.

- A similar feature as the crown of a wall.

PARTS:

CORNICE - The third or uppermost division of an entablature, resting on the freeze.

- Any molded projection which crowns or finishes the part to which it is fixed.

- A ornamental molding, usually of wood or plaster, running round the walls of a

room just the ceiling.

FRIEZE -The middle horizontal member of a classical entablature, above the

architrave & below the cornice.

- A similar decorative band in a stringcourse, or near the top of an interior wall

below the cornice.

ARCHITRAVE - in classical orders, the lowest member of the entablature; the beam that spans

from column to column, resting directly upon their capitals.

PARTS OF CORNICE:

MUTULE - A sloping flat block on the soffit of the Doric cornice, usually decorated with

Rows of six guttae each; occurs over each triglyph & each me tope of the frieze.

REGLET - A fillet or small flat-faced projection, as used in a fret molding or to cover a joint

between two boards.

TOP OF TRIGLYPH:

CYMA RECTA,

DORIC CYMA - A molding of double curvature which is concave at the outer edge & convex at

the inner edge.

CYMA REVERSA,

LESBIAN CYMA - A molding of double curvature which is convex at the outer edge and concave at

the inner edge.

PARTS OF FRIEZE:

ASTRGAL - A bead, usually half-round, with a fillet on one or both sides. It may be explain,

But the term is more correctly used to describe the classical molding consisting

of a string of beads or bead-and-reel shapes.

- A plain bead molding (serves much the same purpose as the fillet). Also called

roundel, baguette, or chaplet.

METOPE - The panel between the triglyphs in the Doric frieze, often carved.

SHANK - One of the plain spaces between the channels of a triglyph in a Doric frieze.

TRIGLYPH - The characteristic ornament of the Doric frieze, consisting of slightly raised

blocks of three vertical bands separated by V-shaped grooves. The triglyphs

alternate with plain or sculpture panels called metopes.

PARTS OF TRIGLYPH:

GLYPH - A sculpture pictograph.

- A groove or channel, usually vertical, intended as an ornament.

REVELLED CHANNEL - A decorative groove angled to its surface.

PARTS OF ARCHITRAVE

TAENIA, TENIA - A narrow raised band or fillet, particularly the topmost member of the Doric

Architrave.

REGULA, REGULAE - In the Doric entablature, one of a series of short fillets beneath the taenia,

each corresponding to a triglyph above.

GUTTA, GUTTAE - One of series of pendant ornaments, generally in the form of the frustum of a

cone, but sometimes cylindrical; usually found on the underside of the mutules

& regulate of Doric entablatures.

DENTIL - One of a band of small, square, tooth like blocks forming part of the

characteristic ornamentation of the ionic, Corinthian, & composite orders, &

sometimes the Doric.

FASCIA - Any flat horizontal member or molding with little projection, as the bands into

which the architraves of ionic & Corinthian entablatures are divided.

- Are relatively narrow vertical surface ( but broader than a fillet) which is

projected or cantilevered or supported on columns or element other than a wall

below.

DIVIDED INTO: upper fascia&

Lower fascia

COLUMN - In classical Architecture, a cylindrical support consisting of a base (except in

- Greek Doric), shaft, and capital; either monolithic or built up of drums the full

diameter of the shaft.

- In structures, a relatively long, slender structural compression member such as a

post, pillar, or strut; usually vertical, supporting a load which acts in (or near) the

direction of its longitudinal axis.

PARTS:

CAPITAL - The topmost member, usually decorated, of a column, pilaster, anta, etc. It may

Carry an architrave or an arcade or be surmounted by an impost block (dosseret).

SHAFT - The portion of a column, colonette, or pilaster between the base & the capital.

BASE - lower part of a column or pier, wider than the shaft, & resting on a plinth,

pedestal, podium, or stylobate.

- The lowest (and often widest) visible part of a building, often distinctively

treated. A base is distinguished from a foundation or footing in being visible

rather than buried.

PARTS OF A CAPITAL:

ABACUS - The uppermost member of the capital of a column; often a plain square slab,

but sometimes molded or otherwise enriched.

ECHINUS - The convex projecting molding of eccentric curve supporting the abacus of

the Doric capital. Hence the corresponding feature in capitals of other orders,

which often had egg & dart ornamentation; any molding of similar profile or

decoration .

- Also see avolo, bowtell.

ANNULET - A small molding, usually circular in plan & square or angular in section;

especially one of the fillets encircling the lower part of the Doric capital

above the necking.

NECKING - A molding or group of moldings between a column & capital.

- Any ornamental band at the lower part of capital; a hypotrachelium.

- In classical orders, the space between the bottom of the capital & the top of the

shaft, which is marked by a sink age or a ring of moldings.

TRACHELIUM,

TRACHELION - In classical Architecture, any member (usually part of the necking) which comes

between the hypotrachelium & the capital.

HYPOTRACHELIUM,HYPO-

TRACHELION, GORGERIN - In some columns, that part of the capital between the termination of the shaft

& The annulet if the echinus, or the space between two neck moldings.

CHANNEL - A decorative groove, in carpentry or masonry.

VOLUTE - A spiral scroll, as on ionic, Corinthian, or composite capital s or oncconsoles,

etc.

SCROLL - An ornament consisting of a spirally wound band, either as a running ornament

or as a terminal, like the volutes of the ionic capital or the scrolls on consoles

& modillions.

EGG & DART - An egg-shaped ornament alternating with a dart-like ornament, used to enriched

ovolo and echinus moldings & also on bands.

FLEURON - The small flower at the center of each side of Corinthian abacus.

- Any small flower like ornament in general. (usually acanthus plant). HELIX - Any spiral, particularly a small volute or twist under the abacus of the Corinthian

capital. The volute of an ionic capital.

CAULICULUS, CAULICOLE - Any one of the ornamental stalks rising between the leaves of a Corinthian

capital from which the volutes spring.

CAULIS - One of the main stalks of leaves which spring from between the acanthus leaves

of the second row on each side of the typical Corinthian capita, & which are

carried up to support the volutes at the angles.

FILLET - A molding consisting of a narrow flat band, often square in section ; the term is

loosely applied to almost any rectangular molding; usually used in conjunction

with or to separate other moldings or ornaments, as the stria between the flutes

of columns.

- A carved ornament representing a flowing band or ribbon.

DIFFERENT MOLDING ON A SHAFT:

APOPHYGE - That part of a column which is molded into a concave sweep where the shaft

springs from the base or terminates in the capital. Also called scape or conge.

- The hollow or Scotia beneath the echinus of some archaic Doric capitals.

HYPOPHYGE - A depression of curved profile beneath some feature, such as the hollow molding

beneath some archaic Doric capitals.

ARRIS, ARIS - An external angular intersection between two planar faces (an edge), or two

curved faces , as in moldings or between two flutes on a Doric column or

between a flute & the fillet on an ionic or a Corinthian column.

- The sharp edge of a brick.

FLUTE - A groove or channel, especially one of many such parallel grooves, usually

semi-circular or semi elliptical in section; used decoratively, as along the shaft

of a column. Fluting a series of flutes. SURBASE - the crowning moldings or cornice of pedestal.

- A border or molding above a base or dado.

TORUS - A bold projecting molding, convex in shape, generally forming the lowest

Member of a base over thee plinth.

PEDESTAL - A support for a column, statue, urn, etc., consisting in classical Architecture

of a base, dado, or die & a cornice, surbase, or cap; in modern design often plain

unornamented block.

- An upright compression member the height of which does not exceed three times

its least lateral dimension.

DADO, DIE - The middle portion of a pedestal between the base (or the plinth) & the surbase

(or the cornice, cap, or entablement).

CINCTURE, GIRDLE - A ring of moldings around the top or bottom of the shaft of a column, separating

the shaft from the capital or base; a fillet around a post. Also see necking.

CAP -Usually, the topmost member of any vertical Architectural element, often

projecting, with a drip as protection from the weather, e.g., the coping of a wall,

top of pedestal or buttress, etc.

- The upper member of a column, pilaster, molding & the like.

PLINTH - A square or rectangular base for column, pilaster, or door framing.

- A solid monumental base, often ornamented with moldings, bas reliefs, or inscriptions, to support a statue or memorial.

- A recognizable base of an external wall, or the base courses of a bldg.

collectively, if so a platform.

GREEK TEMPLES:

PARTS:

CREPIDOMA - The base courses (3stepped platform) of a classical ( esp. Greek) temple.

PARTS:

STYLOBATE - Strictly, the single top course of the 3 steps of the crepidoma upon which the

columns rest directly.

- Any continuous base, plinth, or pedestal, upon which a row of columns is set.

STEREOBATE - The substructure, foundation or solid platform upon which a building is erected.

In a columnar building, it includes the stylobate (the uppermost step or platform

of the foundation upon which the columns stand). The lowest step on a

crepidoma.

ANTA - A pier or pilaster formed by a thickening at the end of a wall; its capital & base

Differ from those of the columns forming part of the same order. Antae often occur

in pairs on either side of a doorway or beyond the face of the end walls.

PRONAOS - The inner portico in front of the naos, or cella, of a classical temple.

NAOS, CELLA - The sanctuary of a classical temple , containing the cult statue of the God.

EPINAOS, POSTICUM,

OPISTHODOMOS - A chamber at the rear of the cella of a classical temple, corresponding to the

pronaos in front.

HYPAETHRAL - A building which is open, or partly open, to the sky. (An open court or enclosure);

a place or part of a building that is roofless is HYPAETHRON. (see atrium)

PTEROMA, PTERON - The passageway between the walls of the cella of a classical temple & the columns

Of the peristyle.

PORTICO - A porch or covered walk consisting of a roof supported by columns; a colonnaded

(continuous row of columns) porch.

- A free standing roofed colonnade; a stoa.

GREEK THEATERS:

PARTS:

SCENA, SCENE - A temporary building or booth for players behind the acting area in the ancient

Theatre ; later the permanent back building of the theatre. (skene, scaena-Greek &

Latin term respectively).

PARASCENIUM - A projecting wall with wing at the end of the skene.

CAVEA - The semi-circular, tiered seating area of an ancient (especially roman) theatre.

(Auditoriums)

DIAZOMA - The wide horizontal walkway between the lower & upper tiers of seats in a Greek

Theatre.

ORCHESTRA - Stage of concrete circles & elevated with an altar in dedication to their Gods.

STAGE - A floor area or platform for dramatic, musical, other types of performance

ROMAN ARCH:

PARTS:

STRINGCOURSE,

BELT COURSE - A horizontal band of masonry; generally narrower than other courses, extending

across the facade of a structure & in some instances encircling such decorative

features as pillars or engaged columns; may be flush or projecting, & flat surfaced,

molded, or richly carved; a bond course.

KEYSTONE - In masonry the central, often embellished, voussoir or an Architecture until the

keystone is in place, no true ARCH action is incurred.

ARCHIVOLT - An architrave modified by being carried around a curved opening instead of

of a rectangular one; An ornamental molding or band of molding on the face of an

Archtecture following the contour of the extrados.

ARCH STONE, VOUSSOIR - A wedge-shaped masonry unit in an Arch or vault whose converging sides are

cut as radii of one of the centers of the Arch or vault

INTRADOS - The inner curve or face of an Arch or vault forming the concave underside.

EXTRADOS - The exterior curve or boundary of the visible face of the Arch.

SPANDREL - An area, roughly triangular in shape, included between the extradoses of two

adjoining Arches & line approximately connecting their crowns (or space

approximately equal to half this in the case of a single Arch); in medieval

Architecture, often ornamented with tracery, etc.

HAUNCH - The middle part between the crown & the springing of an Arch.

ARCHWAY - A passage through or under an Arch, especially when long, as under a barrel

vault.

SPRING LINE - The imaginary horizontal line at which an Arch or vault begins to curve; the

line in which the Springers rest on the imposts. STILT, STILTING - A structural area or element lifting another such above its regular position.

- A member placed above or below another vertical member for additional height.

IMPOST - A masonry unit or course, often distinctively profiled, which receives & distributes

the thrust at each end of an Architecture, also see springer.

ABUTMENT - A masonry mass (or the like) which receives the thrust of an Arch, vault, or strut.

EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES:

PARTS:

APSE - A semicircular ( or nearly semicircular) or semi-polygonal space,

usually in a church, terminating an axis & intended to house an altar.

CATHEDRAL - The bishops throne, set at the end of the apse. NICHE - A recess in wall, usually to contain sculpture or an urn; often

semi-circular in plan, surmounted by a half dome.

ALTAR - An elevated table, slab, or structure, often of stone, rectangular round

for religious, rites, sacrifices, or offerings. The communion table in

certain churches.

SANCTUARY - The immediate area around the principal altar. The sacred shrine of

divinity. (composed of chancel & choir).

CHANCEL - The sanctuary of a church, including the choir, reserved

for the clergy.

CANCELLI - bared screens in a Basilica, separating the clergy from the Laity.

BALDOCHINO,

CIBORIUM - An ornamental canopy over an altar, usually supported on columns, or

a similar form over tomb or throne.

CIMBORIO - A lantern or cupola above or nearly above the high altar in Spanish

Architecture.

BEMA - A transverse space in a church a few steps above the floor of the nave

& aisles, & separating them from the apse.

in a synagogue, a raised pulpit from which the torah (holy bible) is

read.

CHOIR - that part of a church between the sanctuary & the nave reserved for

singers & clergy.

CONFESSIO - The tomb of a martyr or confessor; if an altar was erected over the grave, the name

was also extended to the altar & to the subterranean chamber in which it stood;

In later times a basilica was sometimes erected over the chamber & the entire bldg.

was known as a confession. (A crypt below).

PULPIT - An elevated enclosed stand in a church in which the preacher stands. (Speaking

place).

LOGEION, LOGEUM - The raised platform for the actors in the Hellenistic theatre, corresponding to the

modern stage.

NAVE - The middle aisle of a church.

- By extension, both middle & side aisles from the entrance to the crossing or

chancel.

- That part of the church intended primarily for the laity.

NAVE ARCADE - The open arcade between the central & side aisles.

AISLE - The longitudinal passage between sections of seats in an auditorium or church.

- In a church, the space flanking & parallel to the nave; usually separated from it

by columns, intended primarily for circulation but sometimes containing seats.

NARTHEX - An enclosed porch or vestibule at the entrance to some early Christian churches.

AMBULATORY - A passageway around the apse of a church, or for circumambulating a shrine.

- A covered walk of a cloister.

ATRIUM - The forecourt of an early Christian Basilica, with colonnades on all four sides, &

Usually a fountain for ablutions in the center.

EMBRASURE - The crenels or intervals between the merlons of a battlement.

- An enlargement of a door or window opening, at the inside face of the wall by

means of splayed sides.

CRENEL, CRENELLE - An open space between the merlons of a battlement.

MERLON - In an embattled parapet, one of the solid alternates between the embrasures.

BATTLEMENT,

EMBATTLEMENT - A fortified parapet with alternate solid parts & openings, termed respectively

merlons & embrasures or crenels (hence crenellation). General for defense, but employed also as a decorative motif.

- A roof or platform serving as battle post.

MACHICOLATION

BARTRAN - On a fortified wall, a small overhanging structure with lookout holes & loops,

often at a corner or near an entrance gateway.

ARROW LOOP, LOOPHOLE - A vertical slit for archers in medieval fortification walls, with jambs deeply

splayed toward the interior.

LOOPHOLE - Any opening in a parapet or wall to provide for vision, light, or air.