Architecture Term of the Day

Just A Daily Vocabulary Word to Add to Your Mental Library

[archterm]

pediment

the low-pitched gable enclosed by the building's horizontal and raking cornices of a Greek or Roman temple. also, a similar or derivative element used to surmount a major division of a facade or crown an opening

[archterm]

solid

a geometric figure having the three dimensions of length, breadth, and thickness

[archterm]

mastaba

an ancient Egyptian tomb made of mud brick, rectangular in plan with a flat roof and sloping sides, from which a shaft leads to underground burial and offering chambers

[archterm]

in antis

between antae, the rectangular piers or pilasters formed by thickening the end of a projecting wall

[archterm]

accent

a detail that is emphasized by contrasting with its surroundings. also, a distinctive but subordinate pattern, motif, or color.

[archterm]

promenade

an area used for a stroll or walk, esp. in a public place, as for pleasure or display

[archterm]

tensile structure

a thin, flexible surface that carries loads primarily through the development of tensile stresses

[archterm]

hypostyle hall

a large hall having many columns in rows supporting a flat roof, and sometimes a clerestory: prevalent in ancient Egyptian and Achaemenid architecture

[archterm]

dado

the major part of a pedestal between the base and the cornice or cap. also, the lower portion of an interior wall when faced or treated differently from the upper section, as with paneling or wallpaper

[archterm]

obelisk

a tall, four-sided shaft of stone that tapers as it rises to a pyramidal point, originating in ancient Egypt as a sacred symbol of the sun-god Ra and usually standing in pairs astride temples entrances

[archterm]

mausoleum

a large and stately tomb, esp. that in the form of a building for housing the tombs of many individuals, often of a single family

[archterm]

porch

an exterior appendage to a building, forming a covered approach or vestibule to a doorway

[archterm]

tympanum

the recessed triangular space enclosed by the horizontal and raking cornices of a triangular pediment, often decorated with sculpture. also, a similar space between an arch and the horizontal head of a door or window below.

[archterm]

apadana

the grand columnar audience hall in a Persian palace

[archterm]

field

a region or expanse of space characterized by a particular property, feature, or activity

[archterm]

bosket

a grove or thicket of trees in a garden or park

[archterm]

entasis

a slight convexity given to a column to correct an optical illusion of concavity if the sides were straight