Arth 32: Premodern Architecture Terms

Front 1

vernacular architecture

Back 1

Folk buildings, those built based on local traditions and untrained builders

Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it exists. It has often been dismissed as crude and unrefined, but also has proponents who highlight its importance in current design.

Front 2

polis

Back 2

In modern historiography "polis" is normally used to indicate the ancient greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, so polis is often translated as "city-state."

Front 3

architectural order

Back 3

An order is basically a column. A classical order is one of the ancient styles of classical architecture.

Front 4

Doric order

Back 4

Originated in the region of Sparta (earlier Dorians). The Doric order is the oldest and simplest of the classical orders. It is composed of a vertical cylinder that is wider at the bottom. It generally has neither a base nor a detailed capital. It is instead often topped with an inverted frustum of a shallow cone or a cylindrical band of carvings.

Front 5

Ionic order

Back 5

Originated in the region of Ionia (Ancient Greece).The Ionic column is considerably more complex than the Doric. It usually has a base and the shaft is often fluted (it has grooves carved up its length). On the top is a capital in the characteristic shape of a scroll, called a volute, or scroll, at the four corners. The height-to-thickness ratio is around 9:1. Due to the more refined proportions and scroll capitals, the Ionic column is sometimes associated with academic buildings.

Front 6

column

Back 6

In architecture, "column" refers to such a structural element that also has certain proportional and decorative features.

Front 7

Greek temple

Back 7

Greek temples were structures built to house deity statues (many times colossal) within Greek sanctuaries in Greek religion. They are the most important and most widespread building type in Greek architecture.

Front 8

temple-front

Back 8

Element of a façade resembling the front of a Classical temple, with columns or pilasters carrying an entablature and pediment, applied to an elevation, as in a Palladian composition with portico.

Front 9

trabeation

Back 9

In architecture, a trabeated system or order refers to the use of horizontal beams or lintels which are borne up by columns or posts. It is the opposite of the arcuated system, which involves the use of arches. Favored as state aesthetic during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus.

Front 10

pediment

Back 10

point at the top of temples, end of gable roof.

In classic architecture the triangular-shaped portion of the wali above the cornice which formed the termination of the roof behind it.

Front 11

arch

Back 11

An arch is a curved structure capable of spanning a space while supporting significant weight.A Vault is an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof.

Front 12

entasis

Back 12

In architecture, entasis is the application of a convex curve to a surface for aesthetic purposes. Its best-known use is in certain orders of Classical columns that curve slightly as their diameter is decreased from the bottom upwards.

Front 13

peripteral columns

Back 13

Columns that go all the way around the sides.

a temple or other structure where the columns of the front portico are returned along its sides as wings at the distance of one or two intercolumniations from the walls of the naos or cella. Almost all the Greek temples were peripteral, whether Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian.

Front 14

prostyle

Back 14

Prostyle is an architectural term defining free standing columns that are widely spaced apart in a row. The term is often used as an adjective when referring to the portico of a classical building which projects from the main structure.

Front 15

Pericles

Back 15

Pericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age, c. 450-430 BCE. Pericles had such a profound influence on Athenian society he was called "the first citizen of Athens". Responsible for sponsoring the restoration/remodeling of the Athenian Acropolis.

Front 16

oculus

Back 16

An Oculus or circular window is a feature of Classical architecture since the 16th century.

Oculus is the name of the round opening in the top of the dome of the Pantheon in Rome, and in reference to other round windows, openings, and skylights.

Front 17

pediment

Back 17

A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure (entablature), typically supported by columns.

point at the top of temples, end of gable roof

Front 18

basilica

Back 18

Basilica was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. The term also applies to buildings for religious purposes. After the Roman Empire became officially Christian, the term, by extension, came to refer specifically to a large and important church that has been given special ceremonial rites by the Pope. Thus the word retains two senses today, one architectural and the other ecclesiastical.

Front 19

concrete.

Back 19

A building material invented by the Romans and consisting of various proportions of lime mortar, volcanic sand, water, and small stones.

The widespread use in many Roman structures, a key event in the history of architecture termed the Roman Architectural Revolution, freed Roman construction from the restrictions of stone and brick material and allowed for revolutionary new designs in terms of both structural complexity and dimension.

Front 20

Herculaneum and Pompeii

Back 20

Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD. The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for over 1,500 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1599. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.

Front 21

brace-frame construction

Back 21

Heavy timber framed buildings, diagonal braces in corners. (that guy's notes)

Front 22

adobe

Back 22

Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material (sticks, straw, and/or manure), which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable and account for some of the oldest existing buildings in the world.

A collection of adobes is a pueblo.

Front 23

pueblo

Back 23

"Pueblo" is a term used to describe ancient communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish Explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe communities that consisted of apartment-like structures made from stone, adobe mud, and other local material. These structures were usually multi-storied buildings surrounding an open plaza and were occupied by hundreds to thousands of Pueblo People.

Front 24

plan

Back 24

The horizontal arrangement of the parts of a building or of the buildings and streets of a city or town, or a drawing or diagram showing such an arrangement.

Front 25

aesthetic

Back 25

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty.

Front 26

sham ruin

Back 26

A sham ruin is a folly which pretends to be the remains of an old building but which was in fact constructed in that state.

Front 27

oriental

Back 27

This style or esthetic, evocative of the middle east or far east.

Front 28

rustication

Back 28

In classical architecture[1] rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar. Rusticated masonry is usually squared-off but left with a more or less rough outer surface and wide joints that emphasize the edges of each block. Rustication is often used to give visual weight to the ground floor in contrast to smooth ashlar above.

Front 29

voussoirs

Back 29

used in building an arch or vault. Although each unit of stone in an arch or vault is known as a voussoir, there are two specified voussoir components of an arch: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch, often decorated, embellished or exaggerated in size. The springer is the lowermost voussoir, located where the curve of the arch springs from the vertical support or abutment of the wall or pier.

Front 30

banded column

Back 30

A column with drums that alternate in size, color, or degree of ornamentation.

Front 31

sun disk

Back 31

Gold circle symbolizing the sun and reprsenting the Egyptian sun god, Ra, often used in Egyptian style.

Front 32

papyrus or 'bud' column

Back 32

Papyrus columns can have either circular or ribbed shafts, representing single- or multi-stem papyrus plants. The columns typically represent the plant's closed papyrus bud.

Front 33

battered wall

Back 33

Battered walls are thinner at the top than at the bottom and give an impression of solidarity and height. The battered walls are meant to represent the old temples of Egypt.

Front 34

crenelation

Back 34

To indent; to notch; as, a crenelated leaf. Crenelated molding (Arch.) A kind of indented molding used in Norman (English) buildings.

Front 35

nave

Back 35

In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" (Medieval Latin navis, "ship") was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting. The nave of a church, whether Romanesque, Gothic or Classical, extends from the entry — which may have a separate vestibule, the narthex — to the chancel and is flanked by lower aisles separated from the nave by an arcade. If the aisles are high and of a width comparable to the central nave, the structure is sometimes said to have three naves.

Front 36

apse

Back 36

An apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome. In Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral and church architecture, the term is applied to a semi-circular or polygonal termination of the main building at the liturgical east end (where the altar is), regardless of the shape of the roof, which may be flat, sloping, domed, or hemispherical.

Front 37

chancel

Back 37

In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.

Front 38

aisle (cathedral architecture)

Back 38

In cathedral architecture, an aisle (also known as an isle, yle, or alley) is more specifically a passageway to either side of the nave that is separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades, a row of pillars or columns. Occasionally aisles stop at the transepts, but often aisles can be continued around the apse.

Front 39

Corinthian order

Back 39

The Corinthian, with its offshoot the Composite, is the most ornate of the orders, characterized by slender fluted columns and an elaborate capitals decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls. Favored order of the Romans

Front 40

capital

Back 40

The capital forms the crowning member of a column. The bulk of the capital may either be convex, as in the Doric order; concave, as in the inverted bell of the Corinthian order; or scrolling out, as in the Ionic order.

Front 41

entablature

Back 41

An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals.

Front 42

dome

Back 42

A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Created by the top portion of arch turned 360 degrees.

The arch, the vault, and the dome are all applications of the same concept. The dome is in effect a collection of arches all sharing the same center.

The Roman achievement in dome construction is greatly assisted by their development of concrete.

Front 43

vault

Back 43

The vault, or open-ended tunnel, is only an exceptionally deep arch. Also referred to as a barrel vault.

When 'bent in space' to resemble a half circle, the barrel vault is referred to as a ring vault.

Front 44

axial plan

Back 44

In an axial plan, the parts of a building are organized longitudinally or along a given axis.

Front 45

central plan

Back 45

In a central plan, the parts of the structure are of equal or almost equal dimensions around the center.

In early Christian church construction the central plan church was modeled after the mausoleums and tombs of the Roman Emperors.

Front 46

basilican plan

Back 46

In a basilican plan, the parts of the building are organized on a rectangular plan with an entrance usually on the long side. In early Christian church construction, the basilican plan was modeled after the Roman basilica - a public building used for legal and other civic proceedings. In early churches, the entrance was moved to the end (west) allowing the apse to remain on the east or altar end.

Front 47

lotus or 'bell' column

Back 47

Lotus columns can have either circular or ribbed shafts, representing the sacred pharonic lotus plant (blue and white). The columns typically represent the plant's open lotus flower and reflect the 'bell' form.

Front 48

acropolis

Back 48

Greek 'high city'. In ancient Greece, usually the site of the city's most important temple(s).

Front 49

agora

Back 49

An open square or space used for public meetings or business in ancient Greek cities and towns.

Front 50

ambulatory

Back 50

A covered walkway, or passageway around the apse and the choir of a church (east end), many times leading to the multiple entrances of radiating chapels.

Front 51

amphiprostyle

Back 51

A classical temple plan in which the columns are placed across both the front and back ends but not along the sides (amphi: meaning 'on both ends').

Front 52

amphitheater

Back 52

Greek "double theater". A Roman building type resembling two Greek theaters (horseshoe plan) put together (elliptical plan).

Front 53

apadana

Back 53

The great audience hall of the Persian palaces.

Front 54

arcade

Back 54

A series of arches supported by piers or columns.

Front 55

armature

Back 55

The crossed, or diagonal, arches that form the skeletal framework of a rib vault (Gothic form).

Front 56

attic

Back 56

The uppermost story of a building, triumphal arch, or city gate; usually the location for public text or commemoration.

Front 57

castrum

Back 57

Ancient Roman military encampment.

Front 58

cella or naos

Back 58

The chamber at the center of an ancient temple, the room in which the cult statue usually stood (Greek: naos).

Front 59

corbel

Back 59

Projecting wall member used as a support for some element in the superstructure. Also courses of stone or brick in which each course projects beyond the one beneath it. Two such walls, meeting at the topmost course, create a corbeled arch or corbeled vault.

Front 60

crossing

Back 60

The space created in a church where the nave crosses the transept.

Front 61

transept

Back 61

Part of the church with a second axis that crosses the nave at a right angle (north/south axis).

Front 62

buttress

Back 62

An exterior masonry structure that opposes the lateral thrust of an arch or a vault.

Front 63

groin

Back 63

The edge formed by the intersection of two barrel vaults.

Front 64

hypostyle

Back 64

A type of hall that has a roof supported by columns.

Front 65

insula(e)

Back 65

In Roman architecture, a multi-story apartment house, usually made of brick faced concrete.

Front 66

jamb

Back 66

The side posts of a doorway. Many times a vehicle for attached sculpture.

Front 67

keep

Back 67

A fortified tower in a castle that served as a place of last refuge.

Front 68

mastaba

Back 68

In Arabic "bench". An ancient Egyptian rectangular brick or stone structure with sloping sides erected over a subterranean tomb chamber connected with the outside by a shaft.

Front 69

megalith

Back 69

A large roughly-hewn stone used in the construction of monumental prehistoric structures.

Front 70

megaron

Back 70

Large reception hall and throne room in a Mycenaean or Minoan palace, fronted by an open, columned porch.

Front 71

monolith

Back 71

A stone column shaft that is all in one piece; a large, single block or piece of stone used in megalithic structures.

Front 72

narthex

Back 72

A porch or vestibule of a church, generally colonnaded or arcaded and preceding the nave.

Front 73

pier

Back 73

A vertical freestanding masonry support.

Front 74

pilaster

Back 74

A flat vertical member projecting from a wall of which it forms a part. It usually has a base and a capital and is often fluted.

Front 75

ramparts

Back 75

Defensive wall circuits.

Front 76

shaft

Back 76

The tall cylindrical part of a column between the capital and base.

Front 77

stave

Back 77

Wedge shaped timber; vertically placed staves embellish the architectural features of a building. Often used in Viking 'stave' churches.

Front 78

tholos

Back 78

A temple or tomb with a circular plan. In Mycenaean architecture, it is referred to as a 'beehive' plan. Often preceded by a front entry/passageway known as a dromos.

Front 79

pylon

Back 79

Wide entrance gateway of an Egyptian temple, characterized by sloping walls. Primary location for decorative and narrative carving.