Architecture Dictionary
1909 Plan of Chicago
Milestone
The 1909 Plan of Chicago, also commonly referred to as the “Burnham Plan,” was a visionary Progressive…
Term Details1933-1934 Century of Progress Exposition
Milestone
How did the 1933-1934 Century of Progress Exposition impact Chicago and its architecture?
Term Details19th-Century Commercial
Style
Architects working in the late 19th Century were not approaching the design of tall commercial office…
Term DetailsAccessible architecture
Term
Accessible architecture refers to the design and construction of buildings and spaces that can be easily…
Term Detailsacoustic design
Term
Acoustic Design is the deliberate and thoughtful consideration of sound in architectural and interior…
Term Detailsacroteria
Term
Acroteria are the pedestal and sculpture at the top and lower sides of a triangular pediment; originally…
Term Detailsapse
Term
the half-rounded end of a church, behind the nave
Term Detailsarch
Term
a curved structure that spans across an open space and is made from individual pieces called voussoirs
Term DetailsArt Deco
Style
Art Deco emerged as a popular style of American architecture the 1920s and 1930s. The style originated…
Term DetailsArts and Crafts
Style
The Arts and Crafts movement originated in England in the mid-19th century as an antidote to the dehumanizing…
Term Detailsbas-relief
Term
sculpture that projects only a short distance from the wall on which it is attached
Term Detailsbase
Term
the bottom portion of a Classical column
Term Detailsbeam
Term
a horizontal structural member that supports a load
Term DetailsBeaux-Arts
Style
Almost every corner you turn, you can find Beaux-Arts style architecture in Chicago. Influenced by classical…
Term Detailsbundled tube construction
Term
Bundled tube construction is an architectural and structural engineering technique used in the design…
Term DetailsBurnham and Root
Architect/Firm
In the decades after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root changed the…
Term Detailscaisson
Term
a large vertical, concrete pier, cast in place and used in a foundation where the soil is unstable
Term Detailscantilever
Term
a beam that projects out and is supported only at one end
Term Detailscapital
Term
the upper portion of a Classical column
Term DetailsThe Chicago Flag
Milestone
The Chicago flag, an image close to the hearts of many Chicagoans, is now 100 years old. The City Council…
Term DetailsChicago window
Term
The Chicago window design emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a response to the need…
Term Detailsclapboard siding
Term
long thin wooden boards thicker on one edge than the other, laid horizontally on the exterior of a building
Term Detailsclear-span construction
Term
a structural system that does not use any columns between the exterior walls
Term Detailscolumn
Term
In architecture, a column refers to a vertical structure that supports a load. It can be freestanding…
Term Detailsconcrete
Term
a hardened mixture made from four ingredients: cement, water, sand, and gravel
Term Detailscore and outrigger construction
Term
a structural system for a tall building that uses a central core of concrete, with massive horizontal…
Term Detailscornice
Term
a decorative band across the top of a building that projects beyond the wall
Term Detailscupola
Term
a small structure built on top of a roof to let light in to the room below
Term Detailsdome
Term
a structure that looks like half of a sphere
Term Detailsdormer
Term
a small structure with a window that projects out from a sloping roof
Term Details