- apse. An often vaulted, semicircular or polygonal end of a room, usually in a church. Similar to the Roman exedra. Examples: Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome; Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
- arcade. A series of arches supported by columns or piers, either attached to a wall or freestanding. Examples: Plaza Mayor, Madrid; Place des Vosges, Paris
- azulejo. Painted and glazed ceramic tile, mainly in Portugal and Andalusia, Spain. Examples: Palacio Nacional de Sintra, Lisbon; Plaza de Espana, Seville
- balustrade. A railing with supporting balusters (small closely spaced posts). Example: Bourla Theater, Antwerp
- barrel vault. A ceiling or roof consisting of a continuous semicircular or pointed arch. Also known as a tunnel vault. Examples: St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome; Basilica da Estrela, Lisbon
- blind arch. An arch with no opening. Example: Vrtba Garden, Prague
- campanile. A freestanding bell tower, usually near a church. Examples: Campanile di San Marco, Venice; Houses of Parliament Clock Tower, London
- cantilever. A beam or other projection that is unsupported at one end. Example: Falling Water, Mill Run
- capital. The top part of a column or pillar.
- coffer. A recessed, usually square or octagonal panel in a ceiling, often used to lighten the weight of a dome. Examples: Pantheon, Rome; Union Station, Washington
- composite order Very similar to the Corinthian order, but here ionic volutes are added to the capital. Examples: Pantheon, Rome; US Capitol, Washington DC
- corbie gable. A gable with a series of steplike projections.
- corinthian order. The most ornate of the classical Greek orders, characterized by a fluted column and a capital decorated with acanthus leaves. Examples: Pantheon, Rome; US Capitol, Washington DC
- cornice. A molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building.
- crenelation. A wall at the top of a fortified building with regular gaps allowing defenders to shoot from. Also known as battlement. Examples: Steen, Antwerp; Bargello, Florence
- cross vault. A tunnel or barrel vault intersecting at right angles. Also known as a groin vault; the groin is the line created by the intersection. Examples: Seville Cathedral; St. Paul’s Church, Antwerp
- cupola. A small, domed structure on top of a roof. Examples: Massachusetts State House, Boston; St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
- curtain wall. A nonstructural exterior wall, usually of glass and steel. Examples: Lever House, New York City; UN Secretariat, New York City
- dome. A vaulted structure with an elliptical plan, usually a cross-section of a sphere, used to distribute an equal thrust in all directions. Examples: US Capitol, Washington DC; St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
- doric order. The oldest of the five classical orders, characterized by a fluted column with no base and a plain capital. Example: Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC
- dormer. A window in a small, often gabled structure set vertically on a sloping roof, allowing light to enter the attic. Example: Palacio de Santa Cruz, Madrid
- drum. A circular or polygonal wall which supports a dome or cupola. Examples: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan; St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
- exedra. Semicircular, often domed recess. Example: Trajan’s Markets, Rome
- fanlight. A semicircular window, usually located above a door.
- festoon. Ornamental garland, usually suspended from both ends. Examples: Edificio Metropolis, Madrid; Palais Garnier, Paris
- finial. A sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure.
- flemish bond. A brickwork bond with alernating headers (short side) and stretchers (long side) in each course (row).
- frieze. The horizontal part of a classical entablature just below the cornice, often decorated with carvings. Examples: Pantheon, Rome; Jefferson Memorial, Washington DC
- gable. The triangular section of a wall on the side of a building with a double-pitched roof.
- gargoyle. A grotesquely carved figure that serves as a spout to carry water from a gutter away from the building. Examples: Notre-Dame, Paris; Sacré-Coeur, Paris
- gazebo. A freestanding ornamental pavilion – often at the top of a hill in a garden – that provides a view over the area. Example: Jardin des Plantes, Paris
- ionic order. One of the classical orders characterized by a fluted column, a molded base and a capital decorated with volutes. Example: Palais Garnier, Paris
- keystone. The central wedge-shaped stone at the crown of an arch that locks all parts together. Examples: Arc de Triomf, Barcelona; Arch of Titus, Rome
- lunette. The half-moon shaped space framed by an arch, often containing a window or painting. Examples: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan; Grant’s Tomb, New York
- mascaron. An architectural ornament representing a face or head. The head – either from a human or an animal – is often grotesque or frightening. Examples: Bridge of Sighs, Venice; New York Public Library
- mausoleum. A building constructed as a burial chamber for a deceased person or persons. Examples: Mausoleum of Augustus, Rome; Taj Mahal, Agra; Grant’s Tomb
- mudéjar architecture. A style of Spanish architecture employed by Muslims after the Christian reconquest. Characterized by a fusion of Islamic with Gothic and Romanesque elements. Example: Arc de Triomf, Barcelona
- oculus. A circular opening, usually at the top of a dome. Examples: Pantheon, Rome; Neue Wache, Berlin
- oriel. A projecting bay window on an upper floor.
- pagoda. A tower structure, often rectangular or octagonal, with projecting roofs at each story. Commonly used as a temple, particularly in Asia. Examples: Kew Gardens, London; Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco
- pedestal. A construction, often decorated with sculptures or reliefs, that supports a statue, column, vase, etc. Examples: Statue of Frederick the Great, Berlin; Golden Rider, Dresden
- pediment. A wide, low-pitched gable, often surmounting a colonnade. Examples: Pantheon, Rome; Palais Bourbon, Paris
- pilaster. A rectangular column with a base, shaft and capital projecting from a wall as an ornamental motif. Examples: City Hall, Philadelphia; São Roque Church, Lisbon
- plinth. A base, usually projecting, upon which a pedestal, wall or column rests. Examples: Giraldi Monument, Janiculum, Rome; Nelson’s Column, Trafalgar Square, London
- pointed arch. An arch with a pointed crown, typically seen in Gothic architecture. Examples: Notre-Dame de Paris; Römer, Frankfurt
- portico. A roofed porch usually supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of the building. Examples: White House, Washington; Pantheon, Rome
- quatrefoil. A decorative element shaped in the form of four leaves. Examples: Ca’ d’Oro, Venice; Notre Dame, Paris
- reinforced concrete. Concrete containing steel rods or metal netting to increase its tensile strength.
- richardsonian romanesque. A Romanesque revival style named after the American 19th century architect H.H. Richardson. Characterised by heavy arches and masonry walls. Examples: Trinity Church, Boston; Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto
- rose window. . A circular window, usually found in churches and symmetrically decorated with stained glass. Examples: Notre-Dame, Paris; National Cathedral, Washington, DC
- rotunda. A circular room, often with a dome. Examples: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC; Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
- sgraffito. A technique used for the decoration of walls, where plaster is scratched to reveal a differently colored pattern beneath. Example: Royal Palace, Dresden
- steeple. A tall ornamental structure, usually surmounting a tower and ending in a spire. Examples: Independence Hall, Philadelphia; St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London
- terracotta. Clay material that has been molded and fired, often used for building ornaments or cladding. Also written terra cotta or terra-cotta. Examples: The Drake, Philadelphia; Fisher Building, Chicago; Natural History Museum, London
- tracery. Ornamental, often lacy stonework or timber pattern, in particular the openwork in the upper part of Gothic windows. Examples: Notre Dame, Paris; Cathedral of our Lady, Antwerp
- turret. A small tower projected on a building. Examples: Old Town Hall, Munich; Powder Tower, Prague
- tuscan order. A classical order characterized by an unfluted column and a plain base and capital. Example: Union Station, Chicago
- vault. An arched structure of stone, brick or reinforced concrete forming a ceiling or roof over a wholly or partially enclosed space. Examples: Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, Berlin; Grand Central Terminal, New York City
Sources Cited
A View on Cities, “Glossary of Architectural Terms,” http://www.aviewoncities.com/_architecturalterms.htm. Last accessed: September 20, 2018.
Key Facts
At time of upload on January 6, 2021: