Architectural terms Flashcards
ACROPOLIS
large flat rock at Athens on which sanctuaries to the kids developed; many famous buildings were constructed there, including the Parthenon
ARCHITRAVE / EPISTYLE
the lowest part of the entablature beneath the frieze and resting on top of the capitals; most often it is left undecorated
CAPITAL
the top of the column, above its shaft, on which the architrave rests. (plain in the doric order, volute in the ionic order and leaf-like in the corinthian order)
CORINTHIAN ORDER
same as ionic order but with leaf-like capitals instead of volute
CULT STATUE
the object of worship in a Greek temple, often elaborately decorated with precious materials and found in the naos
DORIC ORDER
an architectural system that generally came before that of the ionic order. It had simple capitals and simple metopes & triglyphs and the fluting ended into a point (rather than straight).
ENTABLATURE
everything that sits about the capital: the architrave, frieze and pediment combined
FLUTING
the ornamentation of a column shaft, giving a ‘striped’ effect. (comes out into a point in doric order, comes out to a flat end in ionic)
FRIEZE
long horizontal continuous strip above architrave. (plain in ionic and split into metopes and triglyphs in doric)
IONIC ORDER
architectural system that was generally more slim and elegant looking that doric order. Features were volute (ram horn-like) capitals, fluting coming to a flat end and a continuous frieze.
METOPE
stone panel inserted between triglyphs, often decorated by sculpture in relief. found only in doric order
NAOS / CELLA
the central chamber of a temple where the cult statue would be housed
PEDIMENT
triangular area of roof often decorated with sculpture
PERISTYLE
the row of columns surrounding a building
STEREOBATE
the levels of steps beneath the stylobate
