Architecture by Letter

A curved structure capable of spanning a space while supporting significant weight.

Lowest, subordinate storey of building often either entirely or partially below ground level.

A structure which provides ventilation.

A structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface.

A superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals.

An exterior side of a building, usually the front.

A freestanding pavilion structure often found in parks, gardens and public areas.

A structural section connecting the main portion of a building with its projecting wings.

A scheme of decoration employed in Romanesque and Gothic architecture, where arches are thrown from alternate piers, intersecting one another.

A building technique used in medieval timber frame buildings in which an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below.

The architectural piece at the crown of a vault or arch and marks its apex, locking the other pieces into position.

A horizontal block that spans the space between two supports usually over an opening such as a window or door.

In Islamic architecture, a tall spire with a conical or onion-shaped crown, on or near a mosque, that is used by the imam to give the prayer call.

The main body of a church where the congregants are usually seated. It provides the central approach to the high altar.

A circular opening in the center of a dome such as the one in the roof of the Pantheon in Rome or in a wall.

A free standing structure near the main building or an ending structure on building wings.

The cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins are also common in some brickwork corners that are alternately recessed and expressed.

A large and high circular hall or room in a building, usually but not always, surmounted by a dome.

A tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building.

A small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle.

Traditionally, a cellar or storage room. In modern usage, a ground-level area that is relatively open to the sides, but covered by the building above.

A wedge-shaped or tapered stone between the springer and the keystone used to construct an arch.

A subordinate part of a building possibly not connected to the main building.

 

 

 

 

A temple tower of the ancient Mesopotamian valley, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.