ARCH 210: History of World Architecture VOCABULARY

Criticism

evaluation of an architectural monument against a set of

defined criteria; can result in a judgment of value/quality

Appreciation

individual reactions to an architectural monument, but also

learning to see what’s “good” in something

Interpretation or Analysis

non-valuative; process of building an argument

based on plausible related historical evidence, relating facts to context(s)

Physical Evidence

the building itself and the landscape in which it

stands or stood. We call this formal analysis

Fresco

pigment painted on wet

or dry plaster

Architecture as shelter

a roofed space in which to protect,

live, work, etc

Prehistory

before the advent of written documents

Architecture as boundary

“circumscription,” marking an outline of space

(i.e. a walled town)

Architecture as monument

“accent,” erecting a structure that uses mass

and height to create a focus in an open space

Tension

horizontal stresses (pulls in opposite directions, reducing mass)

Compression

vertical stresses (weight pushing downward to stabilize mass)

Post + Lintel / Post + Beam

vertical support a horizontal element

Cantilever

Overhang beyond the supporting vertical; helps tensile strength

corbelled arch

stacked cantilevers that progressively step inward as they

rise, until they join, with a capstone at its apex

True Arch

stacked cantilevers that progressively step inward as they

rise, until they join, with a capstone at its apex

Megalith

very large

stones (free-standing or

in construction), term

with Greek roots, roughly dressed, or left as found

Menhir

large, upright

standing stone (free-

standing); French term

Dolmen

A prehistoric structure

made up of two or more large

upright stones (megaliths)

supporting a large, flat, horizontal

slab or slabs.

Cairn

A pile of stones or earth

and stones that served both as a

prehistoric burial enclosure and

as a marker of underground

tombs. Cairns are often built

around dolmen at one side

Passage Grave

burial site consisting of

a post-and-lintel constructed passage

(using megaliths) that tunnels through a

cairn, with a dolmen-like structure at the

center as a burial chamber

Henge

a prehistoric earthwork

consisting of a circular or oval

bank with in inner ditch

Mesopotamia

“middle river”; fertile

plain between the Tigris and Euphrates

Rivers (in modern Iraq)

Also called the Fertile Crescent

Bucrania

skull of an ox/bull,

used to decorate architecture,

or forms that mimic such

animal skulls

pictograms

simple pictures

representing objects or actions

cuneiform

“wedge-

shaped”; Sumerian

phonographic

alphabet

(representations of

syllable sounds) , the

first writing system,

here fully developed

Ziggurat

“house of the mountain, mountain

of the storm, bond between heaven and

earth”; a built, raised platform with four

sloping sides made of mud bricks. These

squat, truncated pyramids were conceived

as a holy mountain that brought Sumerian

priests closer to the gods; a temple was

typically sited atop it.

Axis Mundi

a vertical axis indicating a local

culture’s perceived center of the world,

connecting earthly and other-worldly realms

Temenos

sacred

enclosure, typically

raised on an artificial

mound or platform

Orthogonal

using

straight lines set at right-

angles

Mastaba

(“bench”) superstructure of an Egyptian tomb; massive brick

or stone rectangular tumulus or platform with inwardly sloping walls;

typically covered a lengthy shaft leading to a burial vault below

Serdab

sealed (tomb) chamber, containing a statue of the deceased

Ka

“spiritual double”; an aspect of the soul that resides in the tomb

after death; life-force of the universe that accompanies the body and that

pursued the functions of life in the afterworld; each person also had a ba,

a unique personality/force that resided solely in the mummified body

Stela - Stelae

vertical stone carved with an inscription or images

marking space

Hypostyle Hall

space supported and divided by rows of equally

spaced columns “many columns” roof supported by columns arranged in a grid

Ashlar Masonry

blocks of equally measured, well-cut, smooth stone,

laid in even courses

Apotropaic

serving a

protective function; the

Sphinx stands as a guardian

of the pharaoh’s tomb and

the broader landscape

Obelisk

a tall, usually

monolithic, monument with a

needle-like form, topped by a

pyramidal point; carved with

hieroglyphs to celebrate the ruler

who erected it. Typically placed

near a sun temple in their

original locations (most extant

ones are freestanding today);

they are materialized rays of

sunlight, and are associated with

the powerful sun god, Ra

Canon

strictly observed system of (bodily) proportions, egyptian

Lamassu (shedu)

human-headed, winged bull figure that guarded entryways; a type of Genii

Genii

a good spirit (usually winged) that warded off evil and evil spirits. They are

apotropaic, meaning protective

Apadana

a large hypostyle hall; can be used as an audience hall, throne room, etc.

Nawruz

Persian new

year celebration,

observed at the time of

the spring equinox

Cyclopean masonry

construction

technique using

very large,

irregularly shaped

stones (as if made

by giants)

shaft grave

a deep,

narrow pit, often cut into

natural rock, used for burial

Relieving Arch

an arch (here triangular) above a lintel that lessens the

weight of the masonry above a doorway or other susceptible feature

Megaron

from the

Greek “Large room”;

square/rectangular

room with circular,

central hearth and four

columns, used for

administrative and ritual

purposes; accessed

through a porch with

two columns at entry

Tholos tomb

a round

burial structure of stone, cut

into a hillside, with a

corbelled, ‘false dome’ roof;

sometimes called a ‘beehive

tomb

Dromos

the stone lined

passage leading up to the

tholos chamber

Classicism

Ancient Greek or Roman architectural

(and other cultural) forms and features, or the revivals of

such in later periods

Orthogonal Planning

urban design based

on rectilinear forms, usually with

perpendicular intersections (including grid

plans, Hippodamian planning, per strigas,

etc.)

Per Strigas

(“by bands”) a gridding system

of land division using a small number of east-

west avenues to divide a site into long

bands, which were then subdivided using

narrow north-south streets

“Hippodamian” Planning”

Urban

development schema using orthogonals

devised by Hippodamus of Miletus (fifth

century BCE). Such planning formally

employed a grid, but also social theory,

in which society was divided into

religious, public and private zones.

CANON

strictly observed system of (bodily) proportions - application of regular proportions and sets of relationships

between parts to derive an idealized form, seen in both Greek sculpture and

architecture, and based on the ideal human form. Both the Greeks and the

Egyptians had measurements and ideals based on a canon of body

proportions; also means a culture’s generally “accepted” set of ideals

(canonical English literature, western painting; canonical group of architects:

ripe for challenge!)

polychromy

the use of multiple colors in architecture and art. Classical Greek

buildings and their sculpted ornaments were usually painted in bright colors,

which now has faded or has been purposefully removed

Greek Optical Refinements

very slight curvatures

/distortions used to make

Greek temples appear more

harmonious in appearance

overall (includes

straightening what eye

perceives, etc.)

Entasis

Slight convex

swell from about the

center of the column shaft

upwards to offset the

optical illusion that, when

seen at distance, it gets

thinner at its middle

Peripteral

having a screen of freestanding columns/colonnade at all sides,

(in the diagram we see a peristyle, meaning this temple is peripteral)

votive

a ritual

gift/offering of

thanks

Panathenaia

the city’s main, yearly religious festival, celebrating Athena as the

patron of the polis (city-state); all citizens (free men) participated; athletic games and

other competitions drew people from all over the Hellenic world

Panathenaic Procession

started outside the city, entered at the Dipylon Gate, across

to Agora, and up the Acropolis hill to offer votives (ritual gifts) to Athena on her altar

Acropolis

highest point in any city (many cities have an acropolis, only

Athens has The Acropolis!)

voussoir

wedge-shaped brick

or stone forming a unit of an

arch

Archivolt

the whole line of

voussoirs that comprise an arch

or one facet of it.

Keystone

the central stone of

an arch or rib (acts as a ‘lock’ to

secure other voussoirs against

downward and outward forces

Barrel Vault

masonry ceiling of a continuous semi-circular section,

based on the arch; unbroken by any cross-vaults

Groin Vault

masonry ceiling composed of two barrel (semi-circular or

pointed) vaults intersecting at right-angles

Bay

architectural unit made up of a set of columns and their vault

that defines a repeated space

Castrum

typical Roman

military camp, c1st century BCE;

Typical features: rectangular

plan, walled area with cardo

(north-south axis) and

decumanus (main E-W street;

these met at the center

Cardo

Main street North-South in roman city

Decumanus

Main street East-West in roman city

Romanitas

a feeling and

identity of “Romanness” –

spread to many Roman

cities throughout the vast

territory the empire

controlled. This helped

Rome govern a vast

empire

Pomerium

a furrowed line marking the boundary around the sacred and civic

zone at the heart of Rome, encompassing its great civic spaces and religious

shrines; this became the boundary of the city proper and was gradually expanded

caput mundi

The city of Rome is the caput mundi – the “head of the world”

The forum

an open, public space, usually at the heart of the city, mixing administrative, religious, commercial and memorial functions

Rostrum

(overlooking the forum

space) speaker’s platform, from which

leaders addressed people

Basilica

a colonnaded hall with a longitudinal axis, usually with an apse one at

least one side. “Basilica” is an architectural plan type/building form that was used for

MANY functions in different contexts

Apse

semi-circular termination of a building

Nave

central, wide space in a

basilica

hypocaust

under-

floor heating system

varietas

Latin for “variety”;

Roman affection for varied textures,

colors and forms in one building or

interior design

oculus

a circular opening in a

dome (or wall)

coffer

recessed panel in a ceiling,

for decorative and/or structural

purposes (lightening the weight of a

ceiling

peristyle house

residence

organized around an open courtyard or

garden surrounded by a colonnade,

with rooms off of this; can have several

such interior courtyards

insula

a Roman, multi-family

tenement/apartment block

entertainment venue (roman kit)

sports

arena or theater – that could

also be used for imperial

ceremony. Located in the heart

of imperial Rome, near the

imperial fora and temples

revetment

a thin layer of

stone/marble used to

ornament a wall’s subsurface

rotunda

a circular plan

building

spolia

reused architectural materials,

sometimes used as trophies, sometimes

for economic reasons

mausoleum

reused architectural materials,

sometimes used as trophies, sometimes

for economic reasons

martyrium

site of holy

person’s burial or of an event

that is considered holy (in any

religion)

christian basilica

here as Christian space of

worship: interiorizes liturgy (makes it

inside and private for initiated)

aedicula

the structure under the dome of the Rotunda, covers the

tomb of Christ and is amplified by the larger domed structure

pendentive

concave sections of a sphere, used to transition from a

rectilinear base to a rounded form (a dome)

Katholikon

domed-octagon

plan

squinch

structural transition from square

base to round drum/dome using an arch over

a corner; over all four corners, these create

on octagonal support for a circular dome

iconostasis

the icon-filled barrier between the nave and the bema

monastery

community of

men or women (monks or

nuns) who choose to follow

a religious (Christian,

Buddhist, etc.) rule of life

away from worldly affairs

Apsidiol (also called radiating chapels)

a smaller or secondary apse-shaped

chapel in a church, usually located off

of an ambulatory

ambulatory

a circulation

space/walkway (often semicircular)