Scroll down or click the appropriate letter. Abacus A stone slab at the top of a classical column aiding the support of the architrave. Acropolis The elevated stronghold in ancient Greek cities. Adobe Sun-dried brick used in places with warm, dry climates, such as Egypt and Mexico; also, the structures built out of adobe bricks. Aisle A passageway of a Christian church or a Roman basilica running parallel to the nave, separated from it by an arcade or colonnade. Ambulatory A continuous aisle in a building, especially around the apse in a church. Apse A semicircular area at the end of a church; in most churches it contains the altar. Arcade A series of arches supported by columns or piers, or a passageway formed by these arches. Arch A curved structure used to span an opening. Architrave The lowest part of an entablature resting on the capital of a column. Ashlar Stones hewn, squared, and smoothed for use in building, as distinguished from rough building stones. Atrium In an ancient Roman house, a central room open to the sky usually having a pool for the collection of rainwater. In churches, a front courtyard. Attic The story above the cornice of a building. Baldachin An ornamented canopy over an altar, tomb, or throne. Baptistery A part of a church or a separate building, often octagonal or round, in which baptisms take place. Basilica In ancient Roman architecture, a large oblong building, generally with double columns and a semicircular apse at one end. In Christian architecture, a church with a nave, apse, and aisles. Beam A long piece of heavy wood, steel, etc., used as a horizontal support in construction. Buttress A projecting support built into or against the external wall of a building, typically used in Gothic buildings. A flying buttress is an arch that transfers the thrust of a vault to a lower support. Campanile A bell tower, especially one that stands part from any other building. Cantilever A horizontal projection, such as a balcony or beam, supported at one end only. Choir A square or rectangular area in a church between the apse and the crossing. Clerestory A row of windows in the upper part of a wall, especially in a church, to admit light below. Cloister A religious institutions, a courtyard with covered walks. Colonnade A row of columns, usually equidistant, supporting a beam or entablature. Column A cylindrical vertical support usually consisting of a base, shaft, and capital. Composite Order A Roman order; its capital combines the Corinthian acanthus leaf decoration with volutes from the Ionic Order. Corinthian Order The latest of the three Greek orders, similar to the Ionic, but with the capital decorated with carvings of the acanthus leaf. Cornice The upper part of an entablature, extending beyond the frieze; also, ornamental molding projecting along the top of a building or wall. Crossing In a church, the area where the transept and the nave intersect usually emphasized by a dome or tower. Dome A vaulted roof of circular or polygonal shape. Doric Order The first and simplest of the three Greek orders and the only one that normally has no base. Entablature The upper horizontal part of a classical order, between a capital and the roof; it consists of the architrave, frieze, and cornice. Facade Any important face of a building usually the principal front with the main entrance. Forum The main public square of an ancient Roman city. Frieze The middle part of an entablature, often decorated with sculpture. Gargoyle a spout placed on the roof gutter of a Gothic building to carry away rainwater; usually carved in the shapes of fanciful animals and grotesque beasts. Ionic Order Second of the three Greek orders. Its capital is decorated with spiral scrolls (volutes). Lantern A small structure on top of a dome, tower, or roof, often open to admit light below. Lintel See post and lintel. Loggia A roofed gallery with an open arcade or colonnade on at least one side. Minaret A slender, lofty tower with balconies, attached to a Muslim mosque. Module The measurement by which parts of a building are related to one another. An example is the diameter of a column. Narthex The transverse entrance hall of a church. Nave In a Roman basilica, the central aisle. In a church, the main section extending from the entrance to the crossing. Obelisk a tall, tapering, four-sided stone shaft with a pyramidal top. Ogive The pointed arch used in Gothic architecture. Order A term applied to the three styles of Greek columns and entablatures (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian) and to the Roman Composite and Tuscan orders, developed from then original three orders. Pagoda A multistoried building, typically Asian, forming a tower with upward curving roofs over the individual stories. Pediment In a classical building, the triangular gable between the horizontal entablature and the sloping roof; in general, an architectural feature over a door or window. Pier An upright masonry support. Pilaster A flattened, shallow column or pier projecting from a wall. It usually has a base, shaft, and capital but is decorative rather than structural. Portico A structure usually attached to a building, such as a porch, consisting of a roof supported by piers or columns. Post and Lintel A method of construction in which vertical beams (posts) are used to support a horizontal beam (lintel). Pyramid A quadrilateral masonry mass with steeply sloping sides meeting at an apex; in ancient Egypt, pyramids were used as royal tombs. Relief Moldings and ornamentation projecting from the surface of a wall. Spandrel The triangular area between the sides of two adjacent arches. Spire A tall, tapering, pointed roof on a tower, as in the top of steeple. Tracery Ornament of ribs, bars, etc., in panels or screens, as in the upper part of a Gothic window. Transept A structure that forms the arms of a cross-shaped church. Turret A small tower, usually starting at some distance from the ground, attached to a building such as a castle or fortress. Tuscan Order A Roman order resembling the Doric, but with a base and an unfluted shaft. Vault An arched brick or stone ceiling or roof. The simplest form is the barrel vault, a single continuous arch; the groined vault consists of two-barrel vaults joined at right angles; a ribbed vault has a web of ribs added to the groins. Volute a spiral scroll used on Ionic and Corinthian capitals. Westwork In German Romanesque, a monumental entrance to a church consisting of towers, with a chapel above. Ziggurat In ancient Assyria and Babylonia, a tower in the shape of a stepped pyramid. It formed the base of a temple.     COPYRIGHT©2005 VICTORIA PACKING CORP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ( CTR-110505-ARC)