Selected Bibliography Architecture - Form Space and Order | Page 426

G L OS S A RY

abacus The flat slab forming the top of a column capital, plain in the Doric style,
but molded or otherwise enriched in other styles.
abbey A monastery under the supervision of an abbot, or a convent under the
supervision of an abbess, belonging to the highest rank of such institutions.
abutment The part of a structure that directly receives thrust or pressure,
such as a masonry mass receiving and supporting the thrust of part
of an arch or vault; a heavy wall supporting the end of a bridge or span
and sustaining the pressure of the abutting earth; a mass or structure
resisting the pressure of water on a bridge or pier; or the anchorage for the
cables of a suspension bridge.
accent A detail that is emphasized by contrasting with its surroundings. Also,
a distinctive but subordinate pattern, motif, or color.
accouplement The placement of two columns or pilasters very close together.
acropolis The fortified high area or citadel of an ancient Greek city, esp. the
citadel of Athens and site of the Parthenon.
adobe Sun-dried brick made of clay and straw, commonly used in countries with
little rainfall.
aedicule A canopied opening or niche flanked by two columns, piers, or pilasters
supporting a gable, lintel, or entablature.
agora A marketplace or public square in an ancient Greek city, usually
surrounded with public buildings and porticoes and commonly used as a
place for popular or political assembly.
aisle Any of the longitudinal divisions of a church, separated from the nave by a
row of columns or piers. Also, a walkway between or along sections of seats
in a theater, auditorium, church, or other place of assembly.
alcazar A castle or fortress of the Spanish Moors.
allée French term for a narrow passage between houses, or a broad walk planted
with trees.
amalaka The bulbous, ribbed stone finial of a sikhara in Indian architecture.
ambulatory The covered walk of an atrium or cloister. Also, an aisle encircling
the end of the choir or chancel of a church, originally used for processions.
amphitheater An oval or round building with tiers of seats around a central
arena, as those used in ancient Rome for gladiatorial contests and
spectacles. Also, a level area of oval or circular shape surrounded by rising
ground.
anomaly A deviation from the normal or expected form, order, or arrangement.
anthropology The science of human beings: specifically, the study of the
origins, physical and cultural development, and environmental and social
relations of humankind.
anthropometry The measurement and study of the size and proportions of the
human body.
anthropomorphism A conception or representation resembling the human
form or having human attributes.

apadana The grand columnar audience hall in a Persian palace.
apse A semicircular or polygonal projection of a building, usually vaulted and
used esp. at the sanctuary or east end of a church.
arabesque A complex and ornate design that employs flowers, foliage, and
sometimes animal and geometric figures to produce an intricate pattern of
interlaced lines.
arbor A shady shelter of shrubs and branches or of latticework intertwined with
climbing vines and flowers.
arcade A series of arches supported on piers or columns. Also, an arched, roofed
gallery or passageway with shops on one or both sides.
arch A curved structure for spanning an opening, designed to support a vertical
load primarily by axial compression.
architrave The lowermost division of a classical entablature, resting directly on
the column capitals and supporting the frieze.
arcuate Curved or arched like a bow: a term used in describing the arched
or vaulted structure of a Romanesque church or Gothic cathedral, as
distinguished from the trabeated architecture of an Egyptian hypostyle hall
or Greek Doric temple.
ashlar A squared building stone finely dressed on all faces adjacent to those of
other stones so as to permit very thin mortar joints.
atrium Originally, the main or central inner hall of an ancient Roman house,
open to the sky at the center and usually having a pool for the collection
of rainwater. Later, the forecourt of an early Christian church, flanked or
surrounded by porticoes. Now, an open, skylit court around which a house or
building is built.
axis A central line that bisects a two-dimensional body or figure or about
which a three-dimensional body or figure is symmetrical. Also, a straight
line to which elements in a composition are referred for measurement or
symmetry.
background The part of an image represented as being at the maximum
distance from the frontal plane.
balance A state of equilibrium between contrasting, opposing, or interacting
elements. Also, the pleasing or harmonious arrangement or proportion of
parts or elements in a design or composition.
balcony An elevated platform projecting from the wall of a building and enclosed
by a railing or parapet.
baldachin An ornamental canopy of stone or marble permanently placed over
the high altar in a church.
baluster Any of a number of closely spaced supports for a railing. Also called
banister.
baptistery A part of a church or a separate building in which the rite of baptism
is administered.
base The lowermost portion of a wall, column, pier, or other structure, usually
distinctively treated and considered as an architectural unit.

GLOSSARY / 4 1 1