Arches and vaults

thumb|Gateway Arch

A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a matter of controversy and there are a wide variety of forms and specialized terms to describe them.

thumb|Typical early Christian Byzantine apse with a hemispherical semi-dome in the [[Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe]] thumb|Typical floor plan of a cathedral, with the apse shaded In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an exedra. In Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic Christian church (including cathedral and abbey) architecture, the term is applied to a semi-circular or polygonal termination of the main building

architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof

thumbnail|The nave of the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris|Saint-Sulpice Church in Paris thumb|The nave of the Santa Monica Parish Church (Sarrat)|Santa Monica Parish Church in [[Sarrat, Philippines]]

covered walk enclosed by a line of arches on one or both sides

architectural element; the vertical, triangular space enclosed by the horizontal and raking cornices of a pediment

thumb|Buttresses of Miag-ao Church, [[Philippines]]

architectural element: wedge-shaped stone of an arch

thumb|Schematic representation of a dome on pendentives.

monument in St. Louis, Missouri

300px|thumb|Archivolts on the South Portal of the Chartres Cathedral|Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, [[Chartres, France.]] An archivolt (or voussure) is an ornamental moulding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch.

thumb|upright=1.35|Lunette over the main door of the Luxembourg Palace in Paris thumb|Charles Sprague Pearce, Rest (1896). Mural in a lunette in the [[Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.]]

thumb|250px|Squinches supporting a dome in Odzun Basilica, Armenia, early 8th century

architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve

space defined by the vertical piers, in a building

arch-like construction method

Pyongyang Monument

architectural element

produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults

Patuxai (Lao: ປະຕູໄຊ, ; literally Victory Gate or Gate of Triumph, formerly the Anousavary or Anosavari Monument, known by the French as Monument Aux Morts) is a war monument in Downtown Vientiane, Laos, built between 1957 and 1968. The Patuxai was dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence from France. In romanizing the name from the Laotian language, it is variously transliterated as Patuxai, Patuxay, Patousai and Patusai. It is also called Patuxai Arch or the Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane as it resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. However, it is Laotian in design, deco

history and construction of pointed arch

thumb|William Henry Playfair, [[University of Edinburgh: bevelled edges of each stone block emphasise the voussoirs, which have a curved base and together form a semi-circle at the top of each arch.]] A voussoir (UK: ; US: ) is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault. thumb|Joggled voussoir arch, located at the Mausoleum of Theodoric in [[Ravenna, Italy. (520 CE)]] Each voussoir is formed in a specific way to fit within the arch or vault created. Normally, different colored stones are shaped to fit together in a curved way that relies on the balanc

arches with intradoses that are full semicircles; shape common in ancient Roman architecture

solid dam made of concrete that is curved upstream in plan

emblematic arch common in Moorish architecture

American National Park in St. Louis, Missouri

{|style="float:right;" |valign="top"|thumb|150px|A 4th-century arcosolium in the hypogeum of Via Dino Compagni ([[Via Latina Catacomb), Rome. The figure of the frescoes is the goddess Tellus, after whom this tomb is named.]] |valign="top"|thumb|150px|The 15th-century arcosolium of the doncel Martín Vázquez de Arce, in the [[Sigüenza Cathedral, Spain. Like most post-Roman era arcosolia, it is aboveground.]] |} An arcosolium, plural arcosolia, is an arched recess used as a place of entombment. The word is from Latin , "arch", and , "throne" (literally "place of state") or post-classical "sarcoph

form of vaulting

thumb|right|Two ogee curve examples with their extended S shapes, concave over convex (cyma recta), and convex over concave (cyma reversa), representing the cross section (geometry)|cross-sections of two types of decorative moldings used in building An ogee ( ) is an object, element, or curve—often seen in architecture and building trades—that has a serpentine or extended S shape (sigmoid). Ogees consist of a double curve, the combination of two curves that, as a result of a point of inflection from concave to convex or vice versa, have ends of the overall curve that point in opposite directio

monument in Kyiv, Ukraine

decorative architectural element

thumb|A Secant line|secant ogive of sharpness E = 120/100= 1.2 thumb|The ogive shape of the Space Shuttle external tank thumb|right|Ogive on a 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge

thumb|Reception hall of Azm Palace|Azem Palace in [[Damascus, Syria, using ablaq technique (18th century)]]Ablaq (; particolored; literally 'piebald') is an architectural technique involving alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. It is an Arabic term describing a technique associated with Islamic architecture in the Arab world. The technique is used primarily for decorative effect. It may have its origins in earlier Byzantine architecture in the region, where alternating layers of white stone and orange brick were used in construction. Its use began early in the history of Is

thumb|upright|Model of centring for a ribbed dome structure at Albrechtsburg. Centring, centre, centering, or center is a type of falsework: the temporary structure upon which the stones of an arch or vault are laid during construction. Until the keystone is inserted an arch has no strength and needs the centring to keep the voussoirs in their correct relative positions. A simple centring without a truss is called a common centring. A cross piece connecting centring frames is called a lag or bolst.

type of arch with a pointed apex

dam with the characteristics of both an arch dam and a gravity dam

vault shaped like a pyramid with sides that bow outward

thumb|257x257px|Typical Early Christian/Byzantine apse with a hemispherical semi-dome decorated in [[mosaic (Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna)]] In architecture, a semi-dome (or half-dome) is a half dome that covers a semi-circular area in a building.

type of arch with a circular arc of less than 180 degrees

architectural element

architectural term for an element of a vault

structure in medieval Iranian architecture consisted of four barrel vaults and a dome

triumphal arch in Jerash, Jordan

opening of a door or window, made larger at one face of the wall than at the other

architectural term

architectural element

Architectural feature

Form of vault church architecture

landmark at Jeddah–Makkah Highway

shop selling goods through a small hole in a wall

low brickwork arch

pedestrian mall and tourist attraction in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

triumphal arch in Banjul, the Gambia

type of vaulted structure

bridge in Guatemala

arch incorporating the outline of a trefoil

architectural element

transverse wall-bearing arch forming a partial wall dividing a vault or a ceiling