Periods of Architecture in the Hall of Architecture

Classical - 850 BC to 476 AD From the rise of ancient Greece until the fall of
the Roman empire, great buildings were constructed according to
precise rules.

Early Christian and Medieval - 373 to 500 AD. European architecture

moved from the rectangular basilica forms
to the classically inspired Byzantine style.

Romanesque- 500 to 1200 AD As Rome spread across Europe, heavier,

stocky Romanesque architecture with rounded arches emerged.

Gothic Architecture- 1100 to 1450 AD Innovative builders created the

great cathedrals of Europe. Pointed arches, rose
windows, flying buttresses and ribbed vaults define
Gothic Architecture.

Renaissance Architecture -1400 to 1600 AD A return to classical ideas

ushered an “age of “awakening” in Italy, France,
and England.

Architectural Terms

Arcade- A series of arches supported by columns or piers, either attached

to a wall or freestanding.

Capital- The top part of a column or pillar.

Cornice- A molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building.

Exedra- Semicircular, often domed recess, often at the front

entrances of buildings

Frieze- The horizontal part of a classical entablature just below the cornice,
often decorated with carvings
 Keystone-The central wedge-shaped stone at the crown of an
arch that locks all parts together.

Pediment- A wide, low-pitched gable, often surmounting

a colonnade.

Pilaster- A rectangular column with a base, shaft and capital

projecting from a wall as an ornamental motif.

Quatrefoil- A decorative element shaped in the form of four

leaves. (trefoil- three)

Rose Window- A circular window, usually found in churches

and symmetrically decorated with stained glass.

Vault- An arched structure of stone, brick or reinforced

concrete forming a ceiling or roof over a wholly or
partially enclosed space.

Types of Columns

Corinthian order-The most ornate of the classical Greek orders,

characterized by a fluted column and a capital
decorated with acanthus leaves.

Composite order- Very similar to the Corinthian order, but here

ionic volutes are added to the capital.

Doric order- The oldest of the five classical orders, characterized

by a fluted column with no base and a plain capital.

Ionic order- One of the classical orders characterized by a fluted

column, a molded base and a capital
decorated with volutes.

Tuscan order- A classical order characterized by an unfluted column

and a plain base and capital.