Architecture Dictionary


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