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In architecture, an abaciscus is a tile or square of a tessellated pavement.
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In architecture, an abaculus is a small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colours, used in making ornamental patterns in mosaic pavements.
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In architecture the term abacus is refers to the flat square slab of masonry that forms the uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave.
The term abacus is also used to describe a tablet, panel, or compartment in ornamented or mosaic work.
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In architecture, an abamurus is a second wall added to strengthen another wall.
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In architecture, the term abat-jour is applied to an aperture in a wall, such as a window for example, whose sides and or bottom have been cut back and sloped away from the interior in order to allow more light in. The resulting aperture is larger inside the building, than it is outside.
The term abat-jour is also applied to a skylight.
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In architecture, an abreuvoir is a joint or interstice between stones, to be filled with mortar or cement.
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In architecture, an absorption bed is a large pit, filled with loose, coarse stones, and a distribution system of pipes, and used to absorb the effluent contents from a septic tank.
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In architecture the term abutment refers to the solid part of a pier or wall, etc., which receives the thrust or lateral pressure of an arch, vault, or strut.
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In architecture an acanthus is an ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus plant. They were used in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders.
Legend describes that the architect Callimachos lost his daughter, and set a basket of flowers upon her grave with a tile to stop it from blowing away in the wind. Upon a subsequent visit to the grave he noticed an acanthus had sprung up around the basket, and pleased by the appearance he introduced the design into his architecture.
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Accelerated weathering is something that hastens the natural process by which an item decomposes. Paint manufacturers use accelerated weathering to test paints used for decorating buildings. These tests typically involve applying the paint to be tested to a small panel which is then placed in a revolving drum and subjected to alternating ultra-violet light - to simulate the effects of sun light - and soaking with jets of cold water - to simulate the effect of rain. In such a test several month's normal outdoor exposure can be simulated in a few days.
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Acoustic board is perforated, sound-proof board used on walls and ceilings, notably in courts, to provide sound insulation.
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In architecture an acrolith is a statue whose extremities are made of stone, and the trunk generally made of wood.
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The acropolis was the fortified citadel of ancient Greek cities. The Athenian citadel was destroyed by the invading Persians in 480 BC, but Pericles instituted a rebuilding programme. The Parthenon, built between 447 and 432 BC, was a Doric temple containing a gold and ivory statue of Athena. This was followed by the gateway or Propylaea, the temple of Athena Nike (commemorating victory over the Persians), and the Erectheum, which housed the shrines of various cults. Many of the sculptures on the Parthenon were removed by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1803 and purchased by the British government in 1816. The right to their possession is disputed between Britain and Greece.
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In architecture an acroterium (or acroterion) is a ornamental small pedestal or block, used for statues or other ornaments, and placed on the apex and at the basal angles of a pediment. Acroteria are also sometimes placed upon the gables in Gothic architecture.
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An adobe is a Mexican house made of clay bricks.
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In painting and decorating, the term advancing colours is applied to colours on the yellow to red range, which when used on a particular surface make that surface appear more prominent, so that it 'advances'.
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The adytum was the innermost, and most sacred room, of a Greek temple into which only priests were allowed to enter. From this place the oracles were given. The Holy of Holies or Sanctum Sanctorum of the Temple at Jerusalem was of a similar character.
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An aedicule (aedicula) is a small, temple-like structure comprised of columns supporting a pedimented structure over a niche or window and usually used to shelter a shrine.
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In architecture, aegicrania are sculptured ornaments, generally used in classical architecture, representing rams' heads or skulls.
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An air brick is a perforated brick used to provide ventilation.
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In architecture, an aisle is a lateral division of a building, separated from the middle part, called the nave, by a row of columns or piers, which support the roof or an upper wall containing windows, called the clerestory wall.
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In architecture, the term ajimez is applied to a characteristic form of Arabic window with twin arched lights separated by a column. Ajimeces also occur in Mozarabic and Mudejar architecture in Spain and Portugal.
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In Islamic architecture, an albanegra is the space between the rectangular frame of the alfiz and the arch it contains.
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The Albert Memorial is a memorial in Hyde Park, London. It was erected in memory of Prince Albert. It is an Eleanor cross, 45 meters high, embellished with statues and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. It was completed in 1872 and contains a gilt statue of Prince Albert by Foley. It was unveiled on March the 9th 1876.
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In architecture, an alcazar is a Spanish palace or fortress. The term originates from the Arabic term for a palace, al-qasr, and entered into architectural terminology following the Christian conquest of Moorish Spain.
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In architecture, an alcove is a recessed portion of a room, or a small room opening into a larger one. The term is especially used to describe a recess to contain a bed or seats, separated from the rest of the room by columns, a balustrade, or by curtains.
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Aldersgate was a gateway that stood on the north side of the City of London, at the southern end of Aldersgate Street. The gate was supposedly built by the Saxon, Aldrich. It was rebuilt in 1618, damaged during the Great Fire of London and was demolished in 1761.
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Aldgate was the gateway at the extreme east of the City of London. In 1606 the gate was taken down and rebuilt, before being demolished in 1761. The gateway was also home to a water pump, known as 'Aldgate Pump' which was dried up for many years until water was re-supplied to it in 1908.
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In architecture, an alfarje is an interior timber framework supporting the roof of Islamic Moorish buildings, The structural members were decorated with carved mouldings and interlacing lathes were used to make decorative geometrical patterns known as 'laceria'.
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In Islamic architecture, an alfiz is a moulding in the form of a rectangular frame containing a horseshoe arch. Alfiz were also widely used in the Mozarabic and Mudejar buildings of Spain and Portugal.
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In Islamic and Spanish architecture, an alicatado is a mosaic formed of polygonal pieces of coloured, glazed tile fitted into a geometric pattern. Alicatados were widely used for the patios of houses by the Moors.
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Almourolis a former Knights Templar's castle on an island in the Tagus River, Portugal.
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An altar-tomb is a raised monument resembling an altar.
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In Christian church architecture, an altarpiece is a picture, carved decoration, or decorated screen behind and above an altar. The term reredos is also sometimes used to describe an altarpiece.
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The Altham pot is a clay chimney pot, about 60 cm tall with a base of 33 cm. They are usually either a terracotta or black colour.
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Alto-rilievo is an architectural term for a high relief sculptured work in which the figures project more than half their true proportions, without being entirely detached. In mezzo-rilievo, or middle relief, the projection is one-half, and in basso-rilievo, or bas-relief, less than one-half. Alto-rilievo is further distinguished from mezzo-relievo by some portion of the figures standing usually quite free from the surface on which they are carved, while in the latter the figures, though rounded, are not detached in any part.
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In the early Christian and mediaeval Church, an ambo was a stone reading desk or pulpit from which the lessons were read or the sermon preached. Sometimes there were two ambones, one for reading the Gospel and the other for reading the epistle, these were positioned facing each other on either side of the choir, but in most cases one sufficed.
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In architecture, an ambulatory is any part of a building intended for walking around a central space or shrine, such as the aisles of a cathedral or church. The term is used for the lateral or flanking porticos of an ancient Greek temple, and for the cloister of a monastery.
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In architecture the term amphiprostyle describes structures that are doubly prostyle, having columns at each end, but not at the sides.
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An Amphitheatre was an ancient Roman edifice of an oval form without a roof, having a central area (called the arena) encompassed with rows of seats, rising higher as they receded from the centre, on which people used to sit to view the combats of gladiators and of wild beasts, and other sports. The Colosseum at Rome is the largest of all the ancient amphitheatres, being capable of containing from 50,000 to 80,000 persons. That at Verona is one of the best examples remaining. Its dimensions are 502 feet by 401, and 98 feet high. The name means 'both-ways theatre,' or 'theatre all round,' the theatre forming only a semicircular edifice.
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Anaglypta is an embossed decorating wall paper made from good quality rags giving the appearance of modelled plaster. The paper is typically hung on the walls and then painted.
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In architecture an angle bead is a bead worked on or fixed to the angle of any architectural work, usually for protecting an angle of a wall.
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In architecture, an angle leaf is a detail in the form of a leaf, more or less conventionalised, used to decorate and sometimes to strengthen an angle.
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In architecture an angle shaft is an enriched angle bead, often having a capital or base, or both.
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In architecture an annulet is a small, flat fillet, encircling a column, etc., used by itself, or with other mouldings. It is used, several times repeated, under the Doric capital.
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In architecture an anta is a species of pier produced by the thickening of a wall at its termination, treated architecturally as a pilaster, with capital and base. Porches, when columns stand between two antae are called in Latin in antis.
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In architecture, an antechoir is a space enclosed or reserved at the entrance to the choir, for the clergy and choristers. The term is also used to describe the place where a choir is divided, as in some Spanish churches, that division of it which is the farther from the sanctuary.
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In architecture, an antefix is an ornament, often of terracotta, placed at the eaves or along the cornice of classical buildings to mask the end of each ridge of tiling.
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In architecture, antepagment is the name given to the ornamental architrave of a doorway.
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Anthemion is a term given to palmette and honeysuckle ornamentation found in classical architecture.
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An apartment house is a house built to accommodate a number of families each in its own
set of rooms, which form a separate dwelling with an entrance of its own. The term is chiefly used in America, where such dwellings were introduced quite late, houses of this kind have long been built in Europe, though in London, as in the United States, they were still somewhat of a novelty at the start of the 20th century - a situation which changed rapidly during the 1960's. Early apartment houses in New York and other American cities consisted of great blocks of such houses, which provided excellent and commodious dwellings at a lower rent than if each were a separate building.
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In architecture an apophyge or scape is a small hollow curvature given to the top or bottom of the shaft of a column where it expands to meet the edge of the fillet.
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In architecture an apothesis is a place on the south side of the chancel in the primitive churches, furnished with shelves, for books, vestments, etc. The term also describes a dressing room connected with a public bath.
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In architecture, an apron-piece is a small piece of timber projecting from a wall to support the ends of the joists underlying the landing place in a staircase.
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In architecture an apse is a projecting part of a building, especially of a church, having in the plan a polygonal or semicircular termination, and, most often, projecting from the east end. In early churches the Eastern apse was occupied by seats for the bishop and clergy.
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In architecture, the term apsidal refers to something pertaining to the apse of a church; for example the apsidal termination of the chancel.
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In architecture the term apteral means without lateral columns. The term is applied to buildings which have no series of columns along their sides, but are either prostyle or amphiprostyle, and opposed to peripteral.
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An aqueduct is an artificial channel or conduit for the conveyance of water from one place to another: more particularly the term is applied to structures for conveying water from distant sources for the supply of large cities. Aqueducts were extensively used by the Romans, and many of them still remain in different places on the Continent of Europe, some being still in use.
The ancient aqueducts were constructed of stone or brick, sometimes tunnelled through hills, and carried over valleys and rivers on arches. The Pont du Gard spans the river Gard, and was built to convey to Nismes the water of springs rising in the neighbourhood of the modern Uzes. It is built of great blocks of stone; its height is 160 feet; length of the highest arcade, 882 feet. The aqueduct at Segovia, originally built by the Romans, has in some parts two tiers of arcades 100 feet high, by 2921 feet in length, and is one of the most admired works of antiquity. One of the most remarkable aqueducts of modern times is that constructed by Louis XIV for conveying the waters of the Eure to Versailles. The extensive application of metal pipes has rendered the construction of aqueducts of the old type less necessary; but what may be called aqueduct bridges are still frequently constructed in connection with canals and also with water-works for the supply of towns. Where canals exist canal aqueducts are common, since the water in any section of a canal must be kept on a perfect level.
Many large towns derive a supply of water from sources at a great distance, and in bringing the water to the place where it is required much tunnelling is often required as well as digging and excavating in the open. A tunnel furnishing a water channel may be driven through miles of rock strata of various kinds, and in many places it may have to be lined with concrete or cement wholly or partially, brickwork also being much employed. Instead of tunnelling, the channel may be formed on the plan of cut and cover, being first cut in the ground and then covered over, leaving the surface much in the same state as before. And of course piping is often used in connection with such tunnels, the water being conveyed so far in an aqueduct of one kind, and so far in one of another kind, according as is deemed most suitable. In the Thirlmere aqueduct, which brings water to Manchester, there are 45 miles of cast-iron pipes, 37 miles of cut-and-cover work, and 14 miles of tunnels proper. Pipes are naturally laid where valleys occur, and the water simply enters the pipes at one end and flows out at the other by the influence of gravity, there being a suitable chamber constructed at either end of the pipe line where there is a junction with a section of tunnel. Aqueduct bridges were first introduced into England in the 18th century, the first being the aqueduct at Barton Bridge conveying the Bridge-water Canal across the Irwell. In such bridges the water-channel may be made of cast-iron. There are great aqueduct bridges on some of the Indian canals, such as the Nadrai bridge on the Lower Ganges Canal. In America water was often carried long distances in flumes or open wooden channels, supported, where necessary, on trestles. Great wooden pipes were also common there, built of large staves and hooped round with iron or steel. These often rested on the surface of the ground without any covering.
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In architecture, arabesque describes an Arabic style of ornamentation (hence the name meaning Arab-like) in which are represented men, animals (mythical and actual), plants, with leaves, flowers and fruit; mathematical figures &c. the whole put together in a whimsical way, so that, for instance, the animals not merely rest upon the plants, but grow out of them like blossoms. There are three types of arabesque. The oldest is that of the Romans which does not include animals. These occur in the mural paintings of Pompeii, Herculaneum and other places. The second form is that of the Arabs which is also without animals. The third form is that of the Christians in which animals were first introduced into the designs, and these appear in illuminated mediaeval manuscripts and other places.
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In architecture, arbalestena (also known as balistraria) are cruciform apertures in the walls of ancient fortifications through which arrows were discharged by the defenders against attacking armies.
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In architecture an arcade is a series of arches with the columns or piers which support them, the spandrels above, and other necessary appurtenances; sometimes open, serving as an entrance or to give light; sometimes closed at the back (as in the cut) and forming a decorative feature then known as a 'blind arcade' or 'wall arcade'. The term is also applied to a long, arched building or gallery and to an arched or covered passageway or avenue.
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In architecture an arcboutant is a flying buttress.
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In architecture an arch is a usually curved member made up of separate wedge-shaped solids, with the joints between them disposed in the direction of the radii of the curve; they are used to support the wall or other weight above an opening. In this sense arches are segmental, round (i.e. semicircular), or pointed. A flat arch is a member constructed of stones cut into wedges or other shapes so as to support each other without rising in a curve. Scientifically considered, the arch is a means of spanning an opening by resolving vertical pressure into horizontal or diagonal thrust. The simplest form of an arch is two almost vertical supports lent inwards against one another.
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The Architects Registration Council of the UK is a council established under the Architects (Registration) Act (1931) to maintain a register of persons entitled to practise as architects; to recognize the qualifying examinations for registration; to provide scholarships and maintenance grants for students of architecture; and to act as a disciplinary body for the profession.
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Architecture is the art or science of designing and building structures (houses, bridges etc) for human use. The term is particularly applied to the design and construction of large structures for human use which incorporate both practicality, and aesthetics.
The Egyptians are the most ancient nation known to us among whom architecture had attained the character of a fine art. Other ancient peoples among whom it had made great progress were the Babylonians, whose most celebrated buildings were temples, palaces, and hanging-gardens; the Assyrians, whose capital, Nineveh, was rich in splendid buildings; the Phoenicians, whose cities, Sidon, Tyre, etc, were adorned with equal magnificence; and the Israelites, whose temple was a wonder of architecture. But comparatively few architectural monuments of these latter nations have remained until our day.
This is not the case with the architecture of Egypt, however, of which we possess ample remains in the shape of pyramids, temples, sepulchres, obelisks, etc. Egyptian chronology is far from certain, but the greatest of the architectural monuments of the country, the pyramids of Ghizeh, are at least as old as 2800 or 2700 BC. The Egyptian temples had walls of great thickness and sloping on the outside from bottom to top; the roofs were flat, and composed of blocks of stone reaching from one wall or column to another. The columns were numerous, close, and very stout, generally without bases, and exhibiting great variety in the designs of their capitals. The principle of the arch though known was not employed for architectural purposes. Statues of enormous size, sphinxes carved in stone, and on the walls sculptures incut-line of deities and animals, with innumerable hieroglyphics, are the decorative objects which belong to this style.
The earliest architectural remains of Greece are of unknown antiquity, and consist of massive walls built of huge blocks of stone. In historic times the Greeks developed an architecture of noble simplicity and dignity. This style is of modern origin compared with that of Egypt, and the earliest remains give indications that it was in part derived from the Egyptian. It is considered to have attained its greatest perfection in the age of Pericles, or about 460-430 BC. The great masters of this period were Phidias, Ictinus, Gallicrates, etc. All the extant buildings are more or less in ruins. The style is characterized by beauty, harmony, and simplicity in the highest degree. Distinctive of it are what are called the orders of architecture, by which term are understood certain modes of proportioning and decorating the column and its superimposed entablature. The Greeks had three orders, called respectively the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
Greek buildings were abundantly adorned with sculptures, and painting was extensively used, the details of the structures being enriched by different colours or tints. Lowness of roofs and the absence of arches were distinctive features of Greek architecture, in which, as in that of Egypt, horizontality of line is another characteristic mark. The most remarkable public edifices of the Greeks were temples, of which the most famous is the Parthenon at Athens. Others exist in various parts of Greece as well as in Sicily, Southern Italy, Asia Minor, etc, where important Greek communities were early settled. Their theatres were semicircular on one side and square on the other, the semicircular part being usually excavated in the side of some convenient hill. This part, the auditorium, was filled with concentric seats, and might be capable of containing 20,000 spectators. A number exist in Greece, Sicily, and Asia Minor, and elsewhere. No remains of private houses exist in Greece, Sicily, and Asia Minor, and elsewhere. No remains of private houses are known to exist. By the end of the Peloponnesian War, about 400 BC. the best period of Greek architecture was over; a noble simplicity had given place to excess of ornament. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 the decline was still more marked.
Among the Romans there was no original development of architecture as among the Greeks, though they early took the foremost place in the construction of such works as aqueducts and sewers, the arch being in early and extensive use among this people. As a fine art, however, Roman architecture had its origin in copies of the Greek models, all the Grecian orders being introduced into Rome, and variously modified. Their number, moreover, was augmented by the addition of two new orders: the Tuscan and the Composite. The Romans became acquainted with the architecture of the Greeks soon after 200 BC, but it was not until about two centuries later that the architecture of Rome attained (under Augustus) its greatest perfection.
Among the great works now erected were temples, aqueducts, amphitheatres, magnificent villas, triumphal arches, monumental pillars, etc. The amphitheatre differed from the theatre in being a completely circular or rather elliptical building, filled on all sides with ascending seats for spectators and leaving only the central space, called the arena, for the combatants and public shows. The Coliseum is a stupendous structure of this kind. The thermae, or baths, were vast structures in which multitudes of people could bathe at once. Magnificent tombs were often built by the wealthy. Remains of private residences are numerous, and the excavations at Pompeii in particular have thrown great light on the internal arrangements of the Roman dwelling-house. Almost all the successors of Augustus embellished Rome more or less, erected splendid palaces and temples, and adorned, like Hadrian, even the conquered countries with them. But after the period of Hadrian (117-138 AD) Roman architecture is considered to have been on the decline. The refined and noble style of the Greeks was neglected, and there was an attempt to embellish the beautiful more and more. This decline was all the more rapid latterly from the disturbed state of the empire and the incursions of the barbarians.
In Constantinople (Istanbul), after its virtual separation from the Western Empire, arose a style of art and architecture which was practised by the Greek Church during the whole of the middle ages. This is called the Byzantine style. The church of St Sophia at Istanbul, built by Justinian (reigned
527-565), offers the most typical specimen of the style, of which the fundamental principle was an application of the Roman arch, the dome being the most striking feature of the building. In the most typical examples the dome or cupola rests on four pendentives. After the dismemberment of the Roman Empire the beautiful works of ancient architecture were almost entirely destroyed by the Goths, Vandals, and other barbarians in Italy, Greece, Asia, Spain, and Africa; or what was spared by them was ruined by the fanaticism of the Christians. A new style of architecture now arose, two forms of which, the Lombard and the Norman Romanesque, form important phases of art. The Lombard prevailed in North Italy and South Germany from the eighth or ninth to the thirteenth century (though the Lombard rule came to an end in 774); the Norman Romanesque flourished, especially in Normandy and England, from the eleventh to the middle of the thirteenth century. The semicircular arch is the most characteristic feature of this style. With the Lombard Romanesque were combined Byzantine features, and buildings in the pure Byzantine style were also erected in Italy, as the Church of St Mark at Venice.
The conquests of the Moors introduced a fresh style of architecture into Europe after the eighth century - the Moorish or Saracenic. This style accompanied the spread of Islam after its rise in Arabia in the seventh century. The edifices erected by the Moors and Saracens in Spain, Egypt, and Turkey are distinguished, among other things, by a peculiar form of the arch, which forms a curve constituting more than half of a circle or ellipse. A peculiar flowery decoration, called arabesque, is a common ornament of this style, of which the building called the Alhambra is perhaps the chief glory.
The Germans were unacquainted with architecture until the time of Charlemagne (or Charles the Great, 742 to 814). He introduced into Germany the Byzantine and Romanesque styles. Afterwards the Moorish or Arabian style had some influence upon that of the western nations, and thus originated the mixed style which maintained itself till the middle of the thirteenth century. Then began the modern Gothic style, which grew up in France, England, and Germany. Its striking characteristics are its pointed arches, its pinnacles and spires, its large buttresses, clustered pillars, vaulted roofs, profusion of ornament, and, on the whole, its lofty, bold character. Its most distinctive feature, as compared with the Greek or the Egyptian style, is the predominance in it of perpendicular or rising lines, producing forms that convey the idea of soaring or mounting upwards. Its greatest capabilities have been best displayed in ecclesiastical edifices.
Buildings may be classified architecturally by period and by style. The chief British architectural periods are:
- Mesolithic (12000 BC to 3000 BC)
- Neolithic (2000 BC to 1800 BC)
- Bronze Age (1800 BC to 550 BC)
- Iron Age (550 BC to AD 43)
- Roman (43 to 400)
- Dark Ages (400 to 650)
- Anglo-Saxon (650 to 1066)
- Norman (1066 to 1189)
- Early English (1189 to 1307)
- Decorated (1307 to 1350)
- Perpendicular (1327 to 1520)
- Tudor (1520 to 1558)
- Elizabethan (1558 to 1603)
- Jacobean (1603 to 1625)
- Stuart (1625 to 1689)
- Queen Anne or Baroque (1689 to 1714)
- Georgian (1714 to 1830)
- Late Georgian or Regency (1810 to 1830)
- Victorian (1837 to 1901)
- Edwardian (1901 to 1914)
- Modern or International (1915 to present)
Among the most notable styles of architecture are Art Deco, a style popular in the 1920's and 1930's characterised by geometrical shapes and stylised natural forms and symmetry; Art Nouveau, a style popular between the 1880s and early 1900's with sinuous natural forms; Arts and Crafts, a reactionary style which rebelled against industrialisation and encouraged manual skills and simplicity; Baroque; Classical which is based upon Greco-Roman styles; Gothic which originated in Europe and was popular between the late 12th century and early 16th century, characterised by pointed arches; Queen Anne which was based on the Baroque style but included the intricate use of brick and Victorian which while partially associated with a revival of Gothic style also incorporated Classical elements and made great use of cast iron, typified in many of Britain's older railway stations before they were torn down and replaced with Modern style structures during the late 20th century.
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In architecture, architrave is the lower division of an entablature, or that part which rests immediately on the column, especially in classical architecture. Architrave also applies to the group of mouldings, or other architectural member, above and on both sides of a door or other opening, the term being used especially if they are square in form.
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In architecture an archivolt is the architectural member surrounding the curved opening of an arch, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a square opening. The term is also used to describe the moulding or other ornaments with which the wall face of the voussoirs of an arch is charged.
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In architecture an armature is the iron bars or framing employed for the consolidation of a building, as in sustaining slender columns, holding up canopies, etc.
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In architecture an arris is the sharp edge or salient angle formed by two surfaces meeting each other, whether plane or curved. The term is applied particularly to the edges in mouldings, and to the raised edges which separate the flutings in a Doric column. An arris presents a particular challenge to decorators as paint tends to recede from a sharp angle.
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In architecture, an arris fillet is a triangular piece of wood used to raise the slates of a roof against a chimney or wall, to throw off the rain.
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An arris gutter is a gutter of a V form fixed to the eaves of a building.
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In architecture, an artesonado is a type of panelled timber ceiling of Moorish origin that were a feature of the Mudejar style and were continued to be used in Spanish and American buildings until the 17th century. Artesonados are mostly concave, but sometimes flat, and covered with an endlessly repeating ornamentation in relief formed from small wooden ribs forming a geometric pattern and painted in bright colours and gilded.
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Asbestos cement is a mix of 15% asbestos and 85% cement, formerly much used to make prefabricated building units.
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Asbestos wood is a mix of half asbestos and half cement formerly used to make sheets for making fire-resistant walls and ceilings in buildings. Asbestos wood was designed to be cut to shape and have holes bored in it, while the related asbestos cement units were designed to be used as supplied.
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Ashlar is hewn or squared stone, as distinguished from that which is rough, as when it came from the quarry. The term also extends to masonry made of squared or hewn stone and masonry consisting of stones squared and smoothed in front and built in regular courses.
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In architecture the term astragal refers to a convex moulding of a rounded surface, generally from half to three quarters of a circle.
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The Asturian style is a style of architecture dating from the 8th and 9th centuries from the small kingdom of Asturias in north-west Spain which remained unconquered by the Moors.
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In architecture the term astylar means without columns or pilasters.
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In architecture, an ataurique is a plasterwork or stucco wall facing decorated with leaf and flower motifs. Atauriques are common in Spanish Moorish architecture.
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In Greek architecture, atlantes are figures or half figures of men, used as columns to support an entablature. The term is the plural of Atlas, and originates from the giant in Greek mythology who had to support the heavens upon his shoulders.
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An atrium is a square hall lighted from above, into which rooms open at one or more levels. Originally, the entrance hall to a Roman house, the concept was adopted as an open court with a porch or gallery around three or more sides at the entrance of a basilica or other church. The name was extended in the Middle Ages to the open churchyard or cemetery.
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In architecture the term attached column refers to a column engaged in a wall, so that only a part of its circumference projects from it.
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In architecture, an attic is a low story above the main order or orders of a facade, in the classical styles. The term was introduced in the 17th century and describes a room or rooms behind that part of the exterior and all the rooms immediately below the roof.
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An attic base is a peculiar form of moulded base for a column or pilaster, described by Vitruvius, applied under the Roman Empire to the Ionic and Corinthian and Roman Doric orders, and imitated by the architects of the Renaissance.
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In architecture, an attic order is a square column of any of the five orders.
Research Attic Order
In architecture the axis of the Ionic capital is a line passing perpendicularly through the middle of the eye of the volute.
Research Axis of the Ionic Capital
An azulejo is a Spanish and Portuguese glazed polychrome tile, about 56 cm square used in Islamic architecture for facing walls and paving floors. Ataurique originated with the Persians, and were adopted by the Arabs who introduced them to Spain. The Moors decorated their atauriques with geometric designs and these were used to form repetitive designs with the tiles. Around the 16th century Spanish artists started using the tiles to make panels of a single pictorial design.
Originally similar to the Spanish atauriques, during the 17th century the Portuguese atauriques started to become more distinctive, being blue on a white background and were used to make large compositions of religious, historical, mythological or genre scenes.
Research Azulejo
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Abbreviations
Architecture
