:''The following
outline is an overview and topical guide to architecture:''
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
– the process and the product of designing and constructing buildings. Architectural works with a certain indefinable combination of design quality and external circumstances may become cultural symbols and / or be considered works of art.
What ''type'' of thing is architecture?
Architecture can be described as all of the following:
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Academic discipline
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
– focused study in one academic field or profession. A discipline incorporates expertise, people, projects, communities, challenges, studies, inquiry, and research areas that are strongly associated with the given discipline.
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Building
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fu ...
s – buildings and similar structures, the product of architecture, are referred to as architecture.
* One of
the arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
– as an art form, architecture is an outlet of human expression, that is usually influenced by culture and which in turn helps to change culture. Architecture is a physical manifestation of the internal human creative impulse.
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Fine art
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...
– in Western European academic traditions, fine art is art developed primarily for aesthetics, distinguishing it from applied art that also has to serve some practical function. The word "fine" here does not so much denote the quality of the artwork in question, but the purity of the discipline according to traditional Western European canons.
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Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
– systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. A science is a branch of science, or a discipline of science. It's a way of pursuing knowledge, not only the knowledge itself.
**
Applied science – branch of science that applies existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications, such as technology or inventions.
Definitions of architecture
Architecture is variously defined in conflicting ways, highlighting the difficulty of describing the scope of the subject precisely:
* A general term to describe buildings and other physical structures – although not all buildings are generally considered to be architecture, and infrastructure (bridges, roads etc.) is civil engineering, not architecture.
* The art and science, or the action and process, of designing and constructing buildings.
* The design activity of the architect, the profession of designing buildings.
* A building designed by an architect, the end product of architectural design.
* A building whose design transcends mere function, a unifying or coherent form or structure.
* The expression of thought in building.
* A group or body of buildings in a particular style.
* A particular style or way of designing buildings.
Some key quotations on the subject of architecture:
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Vitruvius
Vitruvius (; c. 80–70 BC – after c. 15 BC) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work entitled '' De architectura''. He originated the idea that all buildings should have three attribut ...
: defined the essential qualities of architecture as "firmness, commodity and delight".
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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
: "I call architecture frozen music".
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Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-American architect and founder of the Bauhaus School, who, along with Alvar Aalto, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, is widely regarded as one ...
: "Architecture begins where engineering ends".
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Le Corbusier: "A house is a machine for living in".
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Louis Sullivan
Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago School, a mentor to Frank Lloy ...
: "... form ever follows function. This is the law", usually quoted as the architectural mantra "
form follows function
Form follows function is a principle of design associated with late 19th and early 20th century architecture and industrial design in general, which states that the shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its intended function ...
".
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Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd ...
: "Less is more".
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Robert Venturi
Robert Charles Venturi Jr. (June 25, 1925 – September 18, 2018) was an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major architectural figures of the twentieth century.
Together with h ...
: "Less is a bore".
Roles in architecture
Professionals involved in planning, designing, and constructing buildings include:
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Architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
– a person trained in the planning, design and supervision of building construction.
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Architectural intern – a person gaining practical experience while studying to qualify as an architect.
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Council architect A council architect or municipal architect (properly titled county architect, borough architect, city architect or district architect) is an architect employed by a local authority. The name of the position varies depending on the type of local au ...
– an architect employed by a local authority.
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Landscape architect – a person who develops land for human use and enjoyment through effective placement of structures, vehicular and pedestrian ways, and plantings.
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Project architect
In architecture, a project architect (PA) is the individual who is responsible for overseeing the architectural aspects of the development of a design, production of the construction documents ( plans), and specifications. The position generally ...
– a person who is responsible for overseeing the architectural aspects of the development of the design, production of the construction documents and specifications.
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State architect
Many national governments and states have a public official titled the state architect or government architect. The specific duties and areas of responsibility of state architects vary, but they generally involve responsibility for the design and ...
– a person who is generally responsible for the design and/or construction of public buildings in the state.
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Architectural designer
The term architectural designer may refer to a building designer who is not a registered architect, architectural technologist or any other person that is involved in the design process of buildings or urban landscapes.
Architectural designers ...
– generally, a designer involved in architecture but not qualified as an architect.
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Architectural engineer
Architectural engineers apply and theoretical knowledge to the engineering design of buildings and building systems. The goal is to engineer high performance buildings that are sustainable, economically viable and ensure the safety health.
Archi ...
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Architectural technologist The architectural technologist, also known as a building technologist, provides technical building design services and is trained in architectural technology, building technical design and construction.
Architectural technologists apply the science ...
or building technologist – a professional trained in architectural technology, building design and construction, and who provides building design services.
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Building control officer or Approved Inspector
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Building inspector
A building inspection is an inspection performed by a building inspector, a person who is employed by either a city, township or county and is usually certified in one or more disciplines qualifying them to make professional judgment about whether ...
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Clerk of works
A clerk of works or clerk of the works (CoW) is employed by an architect or a client on a construction site. The role is primarily to represent the interests of the client in regard to ensuring that the quality of both materials and workmanship are ...
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Drafter
A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for ...
or draughtsman – a person trained in drawing up architectural drawings.
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Site manager
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Building surveyor
People engaged in architecture
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Architects
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
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Architecture firms
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Architectural historians
An architectural historian is a person who studies and writes about the history of architecture, and is regarded as an authority on it.
Professional requirements
As many architectural historians are employed at universities and other facilities ...
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Architecture critics
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
Architectural styles
Architectural style
An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...
– a specific way of building, characterized by the features that make it notable. A style may include such elements as form, method of construction, materials, and regional character. Influential contemporary and relatively recent styles include :
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Modern architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...
– generally characterized by simplification of form and the absence of applied
ornament.
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Postmodern architecture – has been described as the return of "wit, ornament and reference" to architecture in response to the formalism of the
International Style of modernism.
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Deconstructivism
Deconstructivism is a movement of postmodern architecture which appeared in the 1980s. It gives the impression of the fragmentation of the constructed building, commonly characterised by an absence of obvious harmony, continuity, or symmetry. ...
– based on the more general theory of
deconstruction, a design style characterized by fragmentation, distortion and dislocation of structure and
envelope
An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin, flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card.
Traditional envelopes are made from sheets of paper cut to one of three shapes: a rhombus, a sh ...
.
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International style or international modern– the pervasive and often anonymous style of city developments worldwide.
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Brutalism – the notorious use of raw concrete and massive uncompromising forms.
Specialist subclassifications of architecture
Terms used to describe different architectural concerns, origins and objectives.
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Architecture parlante ("speaking architecture") – buildings or architectural elements that explain their own function or identity by means of an inscription or literal representation.
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Religious architecture
Sacral architecture (also known as sacred architecture or religious architecture) is a religious architectural practice concerned with the design and construction of places of worship or sacred or intentional space, such as churches, mosques, ...
– the design and construction of places of worship.
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Responsive architecture – designing buildings that measure their environmental conditions (via
sensors) to adapt their form, shape, color or character responsively (via
actuators).
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Sustainable architecture – environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture.
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Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. This category encompasses a wide range and variety of building types, with differing methods of construction, from around the world, bo ...
– traditional local building styles, typically not designed by professional architects although vernacular elements are adopted by many architects.
Architectural theory
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Architectural design values
Architectural design values make up an important part of what influences architects and designers when they make their design decisions. However, architects and designers are not always influenced by the same values and intentions. Value and intent ...
– the various values that influence architects and designers in making design decisions.
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Mathematics and architecture – have always been close, because architecture relies upon mathematical precision, and because both fields share a search for order and beauty.
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Pattern language
A pattern language is an organized and coherent set of ''patterns'', each of which describes a problem and the core of a solution that can be used in many ways within a specific field of expertise. The term was coined by architect Christopher Alexa ...
– a term coined by architect
Christopher Alexander, a structured method of describing good design practices within a field of expertise.
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Proportion – the relationship between elements and the whole.
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Space syntax
The term space syntax encompasses a set of theories and techniques for the analysis of spatial configurations. It was conceived by Bill Hillier, Julienne Hanson, and colleagues at The Bartlett, University College London in the late 1970s to ea ...
– a set of theories and techniques for the analysis of spatial configurations.
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Architecture criticism Architecture criticism is the critique of architecture. Everyday criticism relates to published or broadcast critiques of buildings, whether completed or not, both in terms of news and other criteria. In many cases, criticism amounts to an assessmen ...
– published or broadcast critique, assessing the architect's success in meeting his own aims and objectives and those of others.
Architectural terms
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Regional architecture
Architecture of Africa
Architecture of Africa
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Architecture of Algeria The architecture of Algeria encompasses a diverse history influenced by a number of internal and external forces, including the Roman Empire, Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, French colonization, and movements for Algerian independence.
Early hist ...
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Architecture of Angola The architecture of Angola spans three distinct historical periods: Precolonial history of Angola, precolonial, Colonial history of Angola, colonial and independent. The impact of Portuguese colonial control over Angola has left a large architectu ...
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Ancient Egyptian architecture
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Architecture of Cape Verde
The Architecture of Cape Verde has different architectural styles in the nation. Unlike the African mainland, Cape Verde was uninhabited until 1461 when the Portuguese arrived, most of the other islands were first inhabited after the end of the 1 ...
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Architecture of Ethiopia
The architecture of Ethiopia varies greatly from region to region. Over the years, it has incorporated various architectural styles and techniques.
Dʿmt (c. 800-400 BC)
The best known building of the period in the region is the ruined 8th-centur ...
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Architecture of Madagascar
The architecture of Madagascar is unique in Africa, bearing strong resemblance to the construction norms and methods of Southern Borneo from which the earliest inhabitants of Madagascar are believed to have immigrated. Throughout Madagascar and ...
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Architecture of Mali
The architecture of Mali is a distinct subset of Sudano-Sahelian architecture indigenous to West Africa. It comprises adobe buildings such as the Great Mosque of Djenné or the University of Timbuktu. It can be found all over the Sahel region of ...
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Architecture of Morocco
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Architecture of Casablanca
The architecture of Casablanca is diverse and historically significant. Casablanca, Morocco's economic capital, has a rich urban history and is home to many notable buildings in a variety of styles. Throughout the 20th century, architecture and ur ...
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Architecture of Fez
The architecture of Fez, Morocco, reflects the wider trends of Moroccan architecture dating from the city's foundation in the late 8th century and up to modern times. The old city (medina) of Fes, consisting of Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, is n ...
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Architecture of Marrakesh
This article describes notable landmarks and architecture in the city of Marrakesh, Morocco.
Plazas and squares Jemaa el-Fnaa
The Jemaa el-Fnaa or Djemaa el Fna is the centre of activity in the medina (old city). It has been part of the UNESCO ...
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Architecture of Nigeria
Architecture of Nigeria was historically influenced by environmental conditions as well as social and cultural factors. The coming of missionaries and political changes brought about by colonialism precipitated a change in architectural style and ...
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Architecture of Lagos
The architecture of Lagos is an eclectic mix of different types, styles and periods. Buildings range from traditional vernacular architecture to Tropical Modernism, tropical modern architecture or a mixture. The oldest European-styled buildings ...
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Architecture of Somalia
Somali architecture is the engineering and designing of multiple different construction types such as stone cities, castles, citadels, fortresses, mosques, temples, aqueducts, lighthouses, towers and tombs during the ancient, medieval and ea ...
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Architecture of South Africa
South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Amongst Ethnic groups in South Africa#Black South Africans, black South Africans, a substantial number of rural inhabitants lead largely impoverished lives. Almost all South Africans ...
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Architecture of Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the capital of the Gauteng
Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'.
Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in Sou ...
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Cape Dutch architecture
Cape Dutch architecture is an architectural style found mostly in the Western Cape of South Africa, but modern examples of the style have also been exported as far afield as Western Australia and New Zealand, typically on wine estates. The styl ...
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Architecture of Zimbabwe The architecture of Zimbabwe is composed of three architectural types: the Hill Complex, the Valley Complex, and the Great Enclosure. Both traditional and colonial architectures have influenced the history and culture of the country. However, post-1 ...
Architecture of Asia
Architecture of Asia
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Architecture of Afghanistan
The architecture of Afghanistan refers to architecture within the borders defining the modern country, with these remaining relatively unchanged since 1834. As the connection between the three major cultural and geographic centres of Central Asia, ...
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Armenian architecture
Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many of its monume ...
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Architecture of Azerbaijan
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
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Architecture of Baku
The architecture of Baku is not characterized by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time.
In itself, Baku contains a wide variety of styles, progressing through Masud Ibn Davud's 12th centur ...
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Architecture of Bahrain
The modern Bahraini art movement emerged in the 1950s, with the establishment of an Arts and Literature club in 1952. The club served as an umbrella group for professional and amateur artists, musicians, and actors in Bahrain. In 1956, the first ...
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Architecture of Bangladesh
Architecture of Bangladesh is intertwined with the architecture of the Bengal region and the broader Indian subcontinent.
The architecture of Bangladesh has a long history and is rooted in Bangladesh's culture, religion and history.
It has e ...
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Architecture of Bhutan
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Dzong architecture
Dzong architecture is used for dzongs, a distinctive type of fortified monastery ( dz, རྫོང, , ) architecture found mainly in Bhutan and Tibet. The architecture is massive in style with towering exterior walls surrounding a complex of cou ...
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Architecture of Cambodia
Throughout Cambodia's long history, religion has been a major source of cultural inspiration. Over nearly three millennia, Cambodians have developed a unique Cambodian culture and belief system from the syncreticism of indigenous animistic beli ...
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Architecture of China
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Architecture of Hong Kong
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Architecture of Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
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Architecture of Georgia (country) ''For the unrelated style that emerged in the English-speaking world during the reigns of successive kings George, see Georgian architecture.''
The architecture of Georgia refers to the styles of architecture found in Georgia. The country is exc ...
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Architecture of India
Indian architecture is rooted in its History of India, history, Culture of India, culture and Indian religions, religion. Among a number of architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple archite ...
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Architecture of Bengal
The architecture of Bengal, which comprises the modern country of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley, has a long and rich history, blending indigenous elements from the Indian subcontinent, with influ ...
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Architecture of Gujarat The Architecture of Gujarat consists of architecture in the India, Indian state of Gujarat.
The first major civilization in Gujarat was the Indus Valley civilisation, Harappan Civilization. Their settlements, including Dholavira, Dholvaira and Loth ...
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Architecture of Karnataka
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Architecture of Kerala
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Architecture of Maharashtra
Maharashtra state in India is known for its Famous caves and cliffs. It is said that the varieties found in Maharashtra are wider than the caves and rock-cut architecture found in the rock cut areas of Egypt, Assyria, Persia and Greece. The Buddh ...
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Architecture of Rajasthan
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Architecture of Tamil Nadu
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Architecture of Uttar Pradesh
The architecture of Uttar Pradesh demonstrates a diverse and Eclecticism in architecture, eclectic combination of Buddhist architecture, Buddhist, Hindu architecture, Hindu, Indo-Islamic architecture, Indo-Islamic, and Indo-European architectur ...
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Architecture of Telangana
The architecture of Telangana dates back over two thousand years. The Indian state of Telangana is in the Deccan plateau, bordering the coastal plain of Andhra Pradesh. It has produced regional variants of wider styles of Indian architectur ...
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Architecture of Indonesia
The architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of Culture of Indonesia, cultural, History of Indonesia, historical and Geography of Indonesia, geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonizers, missionarie ...
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Architecture of Sumatra
The Indonesian island of Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world. The rich ethnic diversity and historical heritage in Sumatra is reflected in the range of architectural styles in the island. The vernacular style is the native Sumatran ...
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Balinese architecture
Balinese architecture is a vernacular architecture tradition of Balinese people that inhabits volcanic island of Bali, Indonesia. The Balinese architecture is a centuries-old architectural tradition influenced by Balinese culture developed from ...
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Architecture of Iran
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture (Persian language, Persian: معمارى ایرانی, ''Memāri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to a ...
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Architecture of Tehran
Tehran has grown dramatically since Mohammad Khan Qajar chose it as the capital of the Qajar dynasty in 1796. Despite the occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and before, some buildings still remain from Tehran's era of antiquity. H ...
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Architecture of Israel
The architecture of Israel has been influenced by the different architectural styles of those who have inhabited the country over time, sometimes modified to suit the local climate and landscape. Byzantine churches, Crusader castles, Isl ...
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Architecture of Japan
has been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors ('' fusuma'') and other traditional partitions were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space t ...
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Architecture of Tokyo The architecture of Tokyo has largely been shaped by the city's history. Twice in recent history has the metropolis been left in ruins: first in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and later after extensive firebombing in World War II. Because of this ...
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Okinawan architecture
Ryukyuan architecture ( ja, 琉球建築, りゅうきゅうけんちく) is the architecture in Ryukyu islands (the Okinawa Prefecture and the Amami Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan). The history of Ryukyuan architecture dates back to the ...
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Architecture of Jordan
The architecture of Jordan has been subject to vast development, specifically in the final years of the twentieth century. Jordan is a semi-arid country located in the Middle East. Its location has great significance to Christians, Muslims and Je ...
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Architecture of Korea
Korean architecture () refers to an architectural style that developed over centuries in Korea.
Throughout the history of Korea, various kingdoms and royal dynasties have developed a unique style of architecture with influences from Korean Buddh ...
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Architecture of North Korea
The contemporary culture of North Korea is based on traditional Korean culture, but has developed since the division of Korea in 1945. ''Juche'' ideology formed by Kim Il-sung (1948–1994) asserts Korea's cultural distinctiveness and creativity ...
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Architecture of South Korea
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Architecture of Kuwait Kuwaiti architecture is a style of architecture unique to Kuwait, a country founded in the early 18th century.
Before the discovery of oil, Kuwait has an economy reliant on maritime trade, shipbuilding, caravan trade and the pearl industry. The ec ...
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Architecture of Lebanon
The architecture of Lebanon embodies the historical, cultural and religious influences that have shaped Lebanon's built environment. It has been influenced by the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Umayyads, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans and F ...
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Architecture of Macau
The architecture of Macau is the architecture that is found in Macau. Macau has diverse architecture from the casinos in its casino region to its tallest building, Grand Lisboa (which stands at 258 metres). Macau is influenced by both Cantonese an ...
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Architecture of Malaysia
Architecture in Malaysia is a combination of many styles, from Islamic and Chinese styles to those brought by European colonists. Malay architecture has changed due to these influences. Houses in the north are similar to those in Thailand, while t ...
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Architecture of Kuala Lumpur The architecture of Kuala Lumpur is a blend of old colonial influences, Asian traditions, Malay Islamic inspirations, modern and post modern mix. Being a relatively young city, most of Kuala Lumpur's colonial buildings were built toward the end of ...
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Architecture of Penang
The architecture of Penang reflects the 171 years of British presence on the island, coalescing with local, Chinese architecture, Chinese, Indian architecture, Indian, Islamic architecture, Islamic and other elements to create a unique ...
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Architecture of Mongolia
The architecture of Mongolia is largely based on traditional dwellings, such as the yurt ( mn, гэр, ) and the tent. During the 16th and 17th centuries, lamaseries were built throughout the country as temples which were later enlarged to acc ...
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Architecture of Myanmar
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Architecture of Nepal
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Architecture of Kathmandu
The architectural heritage of Kathmandu city is integral to that of the Kathmandu valley since all monuments have evolved over centuries of craftsmanship influenced by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The architectural treasure of the Kath ...
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Architecture of Pakistan
Pakistani architecture is intertwined with the architecture of the broader Indian subcontinent. With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC,Guisepi, R.A. . Retrieved on February 6, 2008 for the first t ...
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Architecture of the Philippines
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Architecture of Russia
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Architecture of Saudi Arabia
The Architecture of Saudi Arabia is adapted to its geography and climate, and reflects the uniqueness of Arabian culture. It is located on the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a Mediterranean and subtropical desert climate. The climate of ...
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Architecture of Singapore
The architecture of Singapore displays a range of influences and styles from different places and periods. These range from the eclectic styles and hybrid forms of the colonial period to the tendency of more contemporary architecture to incorpo ...
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Architecture of Sri Lanka
The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of architectural forms and styles. Shaivism has had a significant influence on early Sri Lankan architecture, during the reign of King Ravana, then Buddhism has also had a significant influence ...
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Architecture of Taiwan The architecture of Taiwan can be traced back to stilt house, stilt housing of the aborigines in prehistory, prehistoric times; to the building of fortresses and churches in the north and south used to colonize and convert the inhabitants during the ...
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Architecture of Thailand
The architecture of Thailand ( th, สถาปัตยกรรมไทย) is a major part of the country's cultural legacy and reflects both the challenges of living in Thailand's sometimes extreme climate as well as, historically, the impor ...
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Architecture of Tibet
Architecture of Tibet contains Chinese and Indian influences but has many unique features brought about by its adaptation to the cold, generally arid, high-altitude climate of the Tibetan plateau. Buildings are generally made from locally availab ...
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Architecture of Turkey
Architecture of Turkey or Turkish architecture in the Republican Period refers to the architecture practised in the territory of present-day Turkey since the foundation of the republic in 1923. In the first years of the republic, Turkish archite ...
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Architecture of the United Arab Emirates
The architecture of the United Arab Emirates has undergone dramatic transformation in recent decades, from operating as a collection of fishing villages to a global business hub known for its innovation and dynamism. Between the 1960s and 1970s, a ...
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Architecture of Uzbekistan The architecture of Uzbekistan is noted for its originality. Many consider Uzbekistan’s architecture to be notable despite the changing economic conditions, technological advances, demographic fluctuations, and cultural shifts that the country ha ...
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Architecture of Vietnam
Vietnamese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in Vietnam or by Vietnamese artists.
Vietnamese art has a long and rich history, the earliest examples of which date back as far as the Stone Age around 8 ...
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Architecture of Yemen
The architecture of Yemen dates back to ancient times, when it was part of a tradition of South Arabian architecture. Developments continued during the Islamic period, displaying both local characteristics and external influences. The historic cit ...
Architecture of Europe
Architecture of Europe
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Architecture of Albania
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Architecture of Austria
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Architecture of Azerbaijan
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
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Architecture of Belgium
Belgian culture involves both the aspects shared by all Belgians regardless of the language they speak and the differences between the main cultural communities: the Dutch-speaking Belgians (Flemish) and the French-speaking Belgians (mostly ...
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Architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina is largely influenced by four major periods, when political and social changes determined the creation of distinct cultural and architectural habits of the region.
Medieval period
The medieval period in ...
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Architecture of Mostar
Centuries before the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman conquest of Bosnia, Mostar was a small hamlet situated at a strategic crossing of the Neretva river. Its hinterlands consisted of a broad agricultural plain on the west bank and steep terraces on the eas ...
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Architecture of Bulgaria
A number of ancient civilizations, including the Thracians, Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, Scythians, Celts, Ancient Rome, ancient Romans, Goths (Ostrogoths and Visigoths), Slavs (East Slavs, East and West Slavs), Varangians and the Bulgars ...
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Architecture of Croatia
The architecture of Croatia has roots in a long history: the Croats have inhabited the area for fourteen centuries, but there are important remnants of earlier periods still preserved in the country.
Ancient heritage
Copper Age finds are from ' ...
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Architecture of the Czech Republic
Czech architecture, or more precisely architecture of the Czech Republic or architecture of Czechia, is a term covering many important historical and contemporary architectural movements in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. From its early beginnings ...
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Architecture of Denmark
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
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Architecture of Aarhus
The architecture of Aarhus comprises numerous architectural styles and works from the Middle Ages to present-day. Aarhus has a well-preserved medieval city center with the oldest dwellings dating back to the mid-1500s and some ecclesiastical stru ...
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Architecture in Copenhagen
The architecture of Copenhagen in Denmark is characterised by a wide variety of styles, progressing through Christian IV's early 17th century landmarks and the elegant 17th century mansions and palaces of Frederiksstaden, to the late 19th cent ...
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Architecture of Estonia
This article covers the architecture of Estonia.
History Ancient Estonia
A distinguishing feature of early Estonian architecture are the many strongholds and hill-forts found throughout the country, for example Varbola and Valjala stronghol ...
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Architecture of Finland
The architecture of Finland has a history spanning over 800 years, and while up until the modern era the architecture was strongly influenced by currents from Finland's two respective neighbouring ruling nations Sweden and Russia, from the early ...
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Architecture of France
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Architecture of Normandy
:''See also the Romanesque architecture erected by the Normans at Norman architecture.''
The architecture of Normandy spans a thousand years.
Vernacular domestic styles
In Upper Normandy and in the pays d'Auge, Mortainais, Passais and Avranch ...
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Architecture of Paris
The city of Paris has notable examples of architecture of every period, from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. It was the birthplace of the Gothic style, and has important monuments of the French Renaissance, Classical revival, the Flamboyant s ...
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Architecture of the Paris Métro
From the original plain white tilework and Art Nouveau entrances, the architecture of Paris Métro stations has evolved with successive waves of building and renovation.
After experiments with diverse colour schemes, furniture and lighting, sin ...
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Paris architecture of the Belle Époque
The architecture of Paris created during the '' Belle Époque'', between 1871 and the beginning of the First World War in 1914, was notable for its variety of different styles, from neo-Byzantine and neo-Gothic to classicism, Art Nouveau and Ar ...
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Architecture of Provence
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Architecture of Georgia (country) ''For the unrelated style that emerged in the English-speaking world during the reigns of successive kings George, see Georgian architecture.''
The architecture of Georgia refers to the styles of architecture found in Georgia. The country is exc ...
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Architecture of Germany
The architecture of Germany has a long, rich and diverse history. Every major European style from Roman to Postmodern is represented, including renowned examples of Carolingian, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Modern ...
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Architecture of Berlin
Berlins history has left the city with an eclectic assortment of architecture. The city's appearance in the 21st century has been shaped by the key role the city played in Germany's 20th-century history. Each of the governments based in Berli ...
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Architecture of Munich
This article gives an overview about the architecture of Munich, Germany.
Main architectural examples
Marienplatz and Stachus
At the center of the city is the Marienplatz – a large open square named after the Mariensäule, a Marian c ...
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Architecture of Greece
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Modern architecture in Athens Modern architecture in Athens flourished during two periods, between 1930 and 1940, and between 1950 and 1975. Influenced by the European modern movement led by Le Corbusier and other architects, Greek architects tried to adapt these principles int ...
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Architecture of Hungary
The architecture of Hungary is understood as the architecture of the territory of the country of Hungary, and in a wider, of the Kingdom of Hungary, from the conquest to the present day.
In the time of the foundation of the country
The Hunga ...
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Architecture of Iceland
The architecture of Iceland draws from Scandinavian influences and traditionally was influenced by the lack of native trees on the island. As a result, grass- and turf-covered houses were developed. Later on, the Swiss chalet style became a prev ...
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Architecture of Ireland
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Architecture of Letterkenny
As with other towns and cities in Ireland, Letterkenny has a history of great architecture. Many examples of ancient architecture remain in the town to the present day – though much has been lost also, through decay and modern development.
His ...
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Architecture of Limerick
As with other cities in Ireland, Limerick has a history of great architecture. A 1574 document prepared for the Spanish ambassador attests to its wealth and fine architecture:
:Limerick is stronger and more beautiful than all the other cities o ...
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Architecture of Italy
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Architecture of Rome
The architecture of Rome over the centuries has greatly developed from Ancient Roman architecture to Italian modern and contemporary architecture. Rome was once the world's main epicentres of Classical architecture, developing new forms such as th ...
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Italian modern and contemporary architecture
Italian modern and contemporary architecture refers to architecture in Italy during the 20th and 21st centuries.
Styles Beginning of 20th century
The Art Nouveau style was introduced in Italy by figures such as Giuseppe Sommaruga and Ernesto Basi ...
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Architecture of Lithuania
Culture of Lithuania combines an indigenous heritage, represented by the unique Lithuanian language, with Nordic cultural aspects and Christian traditions resulting from historical ties with Poland. Although linguistic resemblances represent st ...
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Architecture of Luxembourg
The architecture of Luxembourg probably extends back to the Treveri, a Celtic tribe who prospered in the 1st century BC. A few ruins remain from the Roman occupation but the most significant contributions over the centuries have been the country's ...
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Architecture of Malta
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Architecture of Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
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Architecture of Monaco
Monaco is known for its wide range of architecture for a small country. The geography of Monaco, which consists of sharp hills and narrow coastline, influences the Monacan architecture. The narrow roads have led to architectural construction being ...
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Architecture of Montenegro
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Architecture of the Netherlands
Dutch architecture has played an important role in the international discourse on architecture in three eras. The first of these was during the 17th century, when the Dutch empire was at the height of its power. The second was in the first half ...
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Architecture of North Macedonia
The groups of people who have settled or controlled the territory of modern-day North Macedonia have influenced the country in many ways, one of the most visible being architecture. These groups of people include the Paionians, Illyrians, Ancien ...
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Architecture of Norway
The architecture of Norway has evolved in response to changing economic conditions, technological advances, demographic fluctuations and cultural shifts. While outside architectural influences are apparent in much of Norwegian architecture, they ...
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Architecture of Poland
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Architecture of Warsaw
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Portugal
Portuguese architecture refers to both the architecture of Portugal's modern-day territory in Continental Portugal, the Azores and Madeira, as well as the architectural heritage/patrimony of Portuguese architects and styles throughout the world, ...
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Architecture of Romania
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Architecture of Russia
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Architecture of Serbia
The architecture of Serbia has a long, rich and diverse history. Some of the major European style from Roman to Postmodern are demonstrated, including renowned examples of Raška, Serbo-Byzantine with its revival, Morava, Baroque, Classica ...
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Architecture of Belgrade
Architecture of Belgrade is the architecture and styles developed in Belgrade, Serbia.
Belgrade has wildly varying architecture, from the centre of Zemun, typical of a Central European town, to the more modern architecture and spacious layout of ...
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Architecture of Slovenia
The architecture of Slovenia has a long, rich and diverse history.
Modern architecture in Slovenia was introduced by Max Fabiani, and in the mid-war period, Jože Plečnik and Ivan Vurnik. In the second half of the 20th century, the national and ...
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Architecture of Spain
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Architecture of Barcelona
The architecture of Barcelona has had a parallel evolution to that of the rest of the Catalan and Spanish architecture, and has followed in diverse ways the multiple trends that have been produced in the context of the history of Western architect ...
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Architecture of Madrid
The architecture of Madrid has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets, even though Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure. Its landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Royal Theatre with its resto ...
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Architecture of Sweden
This article covers the architecture of Sweden from a historical perspective.
As is the norm in the history of architecture, the architectural history of a nation naturally lends itself to the history of its monuments, and to the development of ...
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Architecture of Stockholm
The architecture of Stockholm has a history that dates back to the 13th century, possibly even earlier. According to some sources, there might have been a simple defense structure, perhaps a small castle, on the northeast part of the island Stad ...
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Architecture of Switzerland
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Architecture of Turkey
Architecture of Turkey or Turkish architecture in the Republican Period refers to the architecture practised in the territory of present-day Turkey since the foundation of the republic in 1923. In the first years of the republic, Turkish archite ...
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Architecture of Istanbul
The architecture of Istanbul describes a large mixture of structures which reflect the many influences that have made an indelible mark in all districts of the city. The ancient part of the city (the historic peninsula) is still partially surro ...
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Architecture of Ukraine
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Architecture of the United Kingdom
The architecture of the United Kingdom, or British architecture, consists of a combination of architectural styles, dating as far back to Roman architecture, to the present day 21st century contemporary. England has seen the most influential de ...
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Architecture of England
The architecture of England is the architecture of modern England and in the historic Kingdom of England. It often includes buildings created under English influence or by English architects in other parts of the world, particularly in the Engli ...
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Architecture of Aylesbury
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Architecture of Birmingham
Although Birmingham in England has existed as a settlement for over a thousand years, today's city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, with little surviving from its early history. As it has expanded, it has acqui ...
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Architecture of Leeds
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Architecture of Liverpool
The architecture of Liverpool is rooted in the city's development into a major port of the British Empire.Hughes (1999), p10 It encompasses a variety of architectural styles of the past 300 years, while next to nothing remains of its medieval ...
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Architecture of London
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Architecture of the London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon has a wide variety of buildings mainly from post-war through to modern. Much of the modern architecture in the borough is centred on the commercial centre of the town, with much of the Victorian designs spread out o ...
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Architecture of Manchester
The architecture of Manchester demonstrates a rich variety of architectural styles. The city is a product of the Industrial Revolution and is known as the first modern, industrial city. Manchester is noted for its Manchester cotton warehouses, ...
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Buildings and architecture of Bath
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Architecture of Scotland
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Architecture of Aberdeen
The architecture of Aberdeen, Scotland, is known for the use of granite as the principal construction material. The stone, which has been quarried in and around the city, has given Aberdeen the epithet ''The Granite City'', or more romanticall ...
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Architecture of Glasgow
The city of Glasgow, Scotland is particularly noted for its 19th-century Victorian architecture, and the early-20th-century "Glasgow Style", as developed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Very little of medieval Glasgow remains, the two main landmar ...
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Architecture of Ireland
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Architecture of Wales
Architecture of Wales is an overview of architecture in Wales from the medieval period to the present day, excluding castles and fortifications, ecclesiastical architecture and industrial architecture. It covers the history of domestic, commercial ...
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Architecture of Cardiff
Architecture in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, dates from Norman times to the present day. Its urban fabric is largely Victorian and later, reflecting Cardiff's rise to prosperity as a major coal port in the 19th century. No single buildi ...
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Architecture of Vatican City
Vatican City has become one of the world's most striking architecture through several centuries and a world cultural heritage. The area of the Vatican is small, which is made up of several famous landmarks. The architecture of Vatican City, dominat ...
Dependencies, autonomies, and other territories
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Architecture of Gibraltar
The culture of Gibraltar reflects Gibraltarian people, Gibraltarians' diverse origins. While there are Culture of Spain, Spanish and Culture of the United Kingdom, British influences, a result of the territory's status as a British overseas territ ...
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Architecture of Kosovo
The architecture of Kosovo dates back to the Neolithic period and includes the Copper, Bronze and Iron Ages, Antiquity and the Medieval period. It has been influenced by the presence of different civilizations and religions as evidenced by the stru ...
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Architecture of Peć
Architecture of North America
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Architecture of Antigua and Barbuda
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of the Bahamas
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Barbados
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Architecture of Belize
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Canada
The architecture of Canada is, with the exception of that of Canadian First Nations, closely linked to the techniques and styles developed in Canada, Europe and the United States. However, design has long needed to be adapted to Canada's climate ...
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Architecture of Montreal
The architecture of Montreal, Quebec, Canada is characterized by the juxtaposition of the old and the new and a wide variety of architectural styles, the legacy of two successive colonizations by the French, the British, and the close presence of ...
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Architecture of Ottawa
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Architecture of Quebec City
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Architecture of St. John's
The architecture of St. John's, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has a style distinct from that of the rest of Canada, and its major buildings are remnants of its history and prestige as the first British colonial capital. The city of St. J ...
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Architecture of Toronto
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Architecture of Vancouver
The architecture of Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver area holds a combination of modern architectural styles, ranging from the 20th century Edwardian style to the 21st century modernist style and beyond. Initially, the city's architects embrac ...
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Architecture of Costa Rica The architecture of Costa Rica includes remains from the pre-Columbian Era, all the way to modern buildings that form part of the nation's contemporary infrastructure. There is a unique architectural landscape present in Costa Rica that is reflectiv ...
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Architecture of Cuba
Architecture of Cuba refers to the buildings, structures and architectural history throughout the Caribbean island nation of Cuba. The unique mix of cultural and artistic influences throughout history have led to Cuba being renowned for its ecle ...
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Architecture of Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
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Architecture of Dominica
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
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Architecture of El Salvador
The culture of El Salvador is a Central American culture nation influenced by the clash of ancient Mesoamerica and medieval Iberian Peninsula. Salvadoran culture is influenced by Native American culture ( Lenca people, Cacaopera people, Maya pe ...
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Architecture of Grenada
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of Guatemala
Guatemalan art refers to all forms of visual art associated with a Guatemalan national identity either because they are created within Guatemala, for Guatemalans, or by Guatemalans. The visual arts in Guatemala consist largely of weaving, murali ...
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Architecture of Haiti
The culture of Haiti is an eclectic mix of African, Taino and European elements due to the French colonization of Saint Domingue and its large and diverse enslaved African population, as is evidenced in the Haitian language, music, and religi ...
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Architecture of Honduras
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Architecture of Jamaica
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Mexico
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Architecture of Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadalajar ...
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Architecture of Mexico City
Many of Mexico's older Architecture, architectural structures, including entire sections of Pre-Columbian era, Pre-Hispanic and colonial cities, have been designated World Heritage Site, World Heritage sites for their historical and artistic sig ...
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Architecture of Nicaragua
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Panama
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Panama City
Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...
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Architecture of Puerto Rico
The architecture of Puerto Rico demonstrates a broad variety of architectural styles and built forms over the country's history of over four centuries of former Spanish rule, and over a century of American rule. Puerto Rico's architecture is as div ...
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Architecture of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
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Architecture of Saint Lucia
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of Trinidad and Tobago
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of the United States
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Architecture of Albany, New York
The architecture of Albany, New York, embraces a variety of architectural styles ranging from the early 18th century to the present. The city's roots date from the early 17th century and few buildings survive from that era or from the 18th and earl ...
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Buildings and architecture of Allentown, Pennsylvania
The buildings and architecture of Allentown, Pennsylvania reflect the city's history from its founding in 1762 through the present.
Allentown is characterized by historic homes, churches, commercial structures, and century-old industrial ...
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Architecture of Atlanta
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Architecture of Buffalo, New York
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Architecture of Chicago
The buildings and architecture of Chicago reflect the city's history and multicultural heritage, featuring prominent buildings in a variety of styles. Most structures downtown were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 (an exception being t ...
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Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-m ...
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Architecture of Fredericksburg, Texas
The architectural structures of Fredericksburg, Texas, Fredericksburg, Texas are often unique to the Texas Hill Country, and are historical edifices of the German people, German immigrants who settled the area in the 19th Century. Many of the struc ...
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Architecture of Houston
The architecture of Houston includes a wide variety of award-winning and historic examples located in various areas of the city of Houston, Texas. From early in its history to current times, the city inspired innovative and challenging building des ...
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Architecture of Jacksonville
The architecture of Jacksonville is a combination of historic and modern styles reflecting the city's early position as a regional center of business. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, there are more buildings built before ...
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Architecture of Kansas City
The architecture of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, especially Kansas City, Missouri, includes major works by some of the world's most distinguished architects and firms, including McKim, Mead and White; Jarvis Hunt; Wight and Wight; Graham, An ...
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Architecture of Las Vegas Interest in the Architecture of Las Vegas began in the late 1960s, when in 1967 architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown traveled to the city accompanied by students in order to study its architecture. They wrote, with Steven Izenour, a re ...
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Architecture of Los Angeles
The culture of Los Angeles is rich with arts and ethnically diverse. The greater Los Angeles metro area has several notable art museums including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the J. Paul Getty Museum on the Santa Monica Mountains ...
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Architecture of Miami
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Buildings and architecture of New Orleans
The buildings and architecture of New Orleans are reflective of its history and multicultural heritage, from Creole cottages to historic mansions on St. Charles Avenue, from the balconies of the French Quarter to an Egyptian Revival U.S. Customs ...
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Architecture of New York City
The building form most closely associated with New York City is the skyscraper, which has shifted many commercial and residential districts from low-rise to high-rise. Surrounded mostly by water, the city has amassed one of the largest and most ...
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Architecture in Omaha, Nebraska Architecture in Omaha, Nebraska, represents a range of cultural influences and social changes occurring from the late 19th century to present.
Background
The area comprising modern-day North Omaha is home to a variety of important examples of pop ...
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Architecture of Philadelphia
The architecture of Philadelphia is a mix of historic and modern styles that reflect the city's history. The first European settlements appeared within the present day borders of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 17th century with most structures ...
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Architecture of Plymouth, Pennsylvania Introduction
Plymouth, Pennsylvania sits on the west side of Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley, wedged between the Susquehanna River and the Shawnee Mountain range. Just below the mountain are hills that surround the town and form a natural amphitheater ...
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Architecture of Portland, Oregon
Portland architecture includes a number of notable buildings, a wide range of styles, and a few notable pioneering architects.
The scale of many projects is relatively small, as a result of the relatively small size of downtown-Portland blocks ( ...
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Architecture of San Antonio
Architecture in the United States, American city of San Antonio, Texas comes from a wide variety of sources, but many of the city's buildings reflect Texas' Spain, Spanish and Mexico, Mexican roots; with some influence from French builders, among ...
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Architecture of San Francisco
The architecture of San Francisco is not so much known for defining a particular architectural style; rather, with its interesting and challenging variations in geography and topology and tumultuous history, San Francisco is known worldwide for i ...
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Architecture of Seattle
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Architecture of St. Louis
The architecture of St. Louis exhibits a variety of commercial, residential, and monumental architecture. St. Louis, Missouri is known for the Gateway Arch, the tallest monument constructed in the United States. Architectural influences reflecte ...
Dependencies and other territories
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Architecture of Anguilla
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of Aruba
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
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Architecture of Bermuda
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Architecture of the British Virgin Islands
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of the Cayman Islands
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Greenland
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
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Architecture of Guadeloupe
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Martinique
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Montserrat
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of Navassa Island
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of the Netherlands Antilles
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructin ...
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Architecture of Saint Barthélemy
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Architecture of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of the United States Virgin Islands
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
Architecture of Oceania
Architecture of Oceania
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Australia
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Architecture of Australia
Architecture of Australia has generally been consistent with architectural trends in the wider Western world, with some special adaptations to compensate for distinctive Australian climatic and cultural factors. Indigenous Australians produced a ...
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Architecture of Bathurst, New South Wales
Architecture in Bathurst, a regional city in the state of New South Wales, Australia includes a unique collection of architecture. This architecture reflects Bathurst, New South Wales, Bathurst's history from colonial through to recent times, with ...
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Architecture of Melbourne
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Architecture of Sydney
The architecture of Sydney, Australia’s oldest city, is not characterised by any one architectural style, but by an extensive juxtaposition of old and new architecture over the city's 200-year history, from its modest beginnings with local m ...
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Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...
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Architecture of Fiji
The architecture of Fiji has its own unique style and pattern. While Fiji is a famous travelling destination among tourists for its beaches and beauty, its architecture is unique and particularly attractive. Fiji is a pacific island belonging to t ...
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Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...
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Polynesia
Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
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Architecture of New Zealand
The architecture of New Zealand, though influenced by various cultures, expresses pre-dominantly European styles. Polynesian influences emerge in some areas.
Architectural education
Victoria University of Wellington, Unitec, ARA Institute, A ...
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Architecture of Samoa
The architecture of Samoa is characterised by openness, with the design mirroring the culture and life of the Samoan people who inhabit the Samoa Islands.
Architecture of South America
Architecture of South America
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Architecture of Argentina
The architecture of Argentina can be said to start at the beginning of the Spanish colonisation, though it was in the 18th century that the cities of the country reached their splendour. Cities like Córdoba, Salta, Mendoza, and also Buenos A ...
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Architecture of Bolivia
The architecture of Bolivia is closely related to its History of Bolivia, history, Culture of Bolivia, culture and religion. Bolivian architecture has been constantly changing and progressing over time. Subject to terrain and high altitudes, most ...
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Architecture of Brazil
The architecture of Brazil is influenced by Europe, especially Portugal. It has a history that goes back 500 years to the time when Pedro Álvares Cabral, Pedro Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500. Portuguese colonial architecture was the first wa ...
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Architecture of Chile
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Architecture of Colombia
Colombia's architectural heritage includes Spanish colonial architecture including Catholic churches. Its modern architecture represents various International Style architecture. In the postmodern architecture era a wave of innovate and striking b ...
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Architecture of Panama
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
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Architecture of Paraguay
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Architecture of Peru
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Architecture of Trinidad and Tobago
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
Territories
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Architecture of Aruba
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
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Architecture of the Falkland Islands
The culture of the Falkland Islands is essentially analogous to that of British culture. The Falkland Islands have a large non-native born population, mainly white and from England (and to a much lesser extent, other parts of the British Isles), b ...
History of architecture
![The Sage Gateshead 2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/The_Sage_Gateshead_2004.jpg)
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Neolithic architecture
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several par ...
– architecture of the last part of the Stone Age, and of the people of the Americas and the Pacific up until the time of European contact.
*
Ancient Egyptian architecture – architecture of
ancient Egypt, which developed a vast array of diverse structures and great architectural monuments along the
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest ...
, among the largest and most famous of which are the
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the biggest Egyptian pyramid and the tomb of Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Built in the early 26th century BC during a period of around 27 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Worl ...
and the
Great Sphinx of Giza.
*
Achaemenid architecture – the architectural achievements of the Achaemenid Persians manifesting in construction of complex cities (Perspepolis, Susa, Ecbatana), temples made for worship and social gatherings (such as Zoroastrian temples), and mausoleums erected in honor of fallen kings (such as the burial tomb of Cyrus the Great).
*
Armenian architecture
Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many of its monume ...
– an architectural style developed over the last 4,500 years of human habitation in the Armenian Highland (the eastern part of Asia Minor) and used principally by the Armenian people.
*
Coptic architecture
Coptic architecture is the architecture of the Coptic Christians, who form the majority of Christians in Egypt.
Coptic churches range from great cathedrals such as Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral to the smallest churches in rural village ...
– the architecture of the Copts, who form the majority of Christians in Egypt.
*
Dravidian architecture
Dravidian architecture, or the South Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from South India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century. It is seen in Hindu temples, and the most distinc ...
– a style of architecture thousands of years ago in the Southern part of the Indian subcontinent or South India, built by the Dravidian peoples.
*
Maya architecture
Maya architecture spans several thousands of years, several eras of political change, and architectural innovation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Often, the buildings most dramatic and easily recognizable as creations of the Ma ...
– the structures of the Maya civilization, which was established circa 2000 BC and continued until its conquest by the Spanish (in the 16th and 17th centuries). Some of its notable constructions include ceremonial platforms, palaces, E-Groups, pyramids, temples, observatories, and ballcourts.
*
Sumerian architecture – the ancient architecture of the region of the Tigris–Euphrates river system (also known as
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...
).
*
Ancient Greek architecture
Ancient Greek architecture came from the Greek-speaking people (''Hellenic'' people) whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland, the Peloponnese, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Anatolia and Italy for a period from about 900 BC unti ...
– the architecture of ancient Greece, where the classical orders were developed, establishing a precedent for the subsequent development of classical architecture.
*
Ancient Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical Ancient Greek Architecture, Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architecture, architectural style ...
– adopted the principles of ancient Greek architecture and developed both new decorative forms, and much more complex building forms, notably adopting the use of arches and vaults.
*
Buddhist architecture
Buddhist religious architecture developed in the Indian subcontinent. Three types of structures are associated with the religious architecture of early Buddhism: monasteries ( viharas), places to venerate relics ( stupas), and shrines or prayer ...
– developed by the worshipers of Buddha in South Asia in the 3rd century BCE, and associated with three types of structures: monasteries (viharas), stupas, and temples (Chaitya ).
*
Inca architecture
Inca architecture is the most significant pre-Columbian architecture in South America. The Incas inherited an architectural legacy from Tiwanaku, founded in the 2nd century B.C.E. in present-day Bolivia. A core characteristic of the architectur ...
– the pre-Columbian architecture of the Incas in South America, known particularly for its exceptionally precise masonry.
*
Sassanid architecture
Sasanian architecture refers to the Persian architectural style that reached a peak in its development during the Sasanian era. In many ways the Sasanian Empire period (224–651 CE) witnessed the highest achievement of Iranian civilization, an ...
– the Persian architectural style that reached a peak in its development during the Sassanid era.
*
Mesoamerican architecture
Mesoamerican architecture is the set of architectural traditions produced by pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations of Mesoamerica, traditions which are best known in the form of public, ceremonial and urban monumental buildings and structures. ...
– the set of architectural traditions produced by pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations of Mesoamerica, best known in the form of public, ceremonial and urban monumental buildings and structures.
*
Byzantine architecture – the architecture of the Byzantine Empire.
*
Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...
– encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture.
*
Newa architecture
Newa architecture is an indigenous style of architecture used by the Newari people in the Kathmandu valley in Nepal. It is a style used in buildings ranging from stupas and chaitya monastery buildings to courtyard structures and distinctive houses ...
– style of architecture used by the Newari people in the Kathmandu valley in Nepal, ranging from stupas and chaitya monastery buildings to courtyard structures and distinctive houses.
*
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is architecture common in the Middle Ages, and includes religious, civil, and military buildings. Styles include pre-Romanesque, Romanesque, and Gothic. While most of the surviving medieval architecture is to be seen in ...
– a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.
**
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...
– an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches.
**
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It ...
– a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period.
*
Iranian architecture
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture ( Persian: معمارى ایرانی, ''Memāri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC ...
– or Persian architecture is the historic architecture of
Iran (Persia)
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
*
Hoysala architecture
Hoysala architecture is the building style in Hindu temple architecture developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries, in the region known today as Karnataka, a state of India. Hoysala influence was at its pe ...
– building style developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries, in the region known today as Karnataka, a state of India.
*
Vijayanagara Architecture
Vijayanagara architecture of 1336–1565 CE was a notable building idiom that developed during the rule of the imperial Hindu Vijayanagara Empire. The empire ruled South India, from their regal capital at Vijayanagara, on the banks of the Tung ...
– primarily a temple style found in Vijayanagara principality in India.
*
Ottoman architecture
Ottoman architecture is the architectural style that developed under the Ottoman Empire. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century and developed from earlier Seljuk Turkish architecture, with influences from Byzantine a ...
– or Turkish architecture is the architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries.
*
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
– the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture.
**
Classical architecture
Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the works of the Roman architect ...
– architecture derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance.
**
Palladian architecture – a European architectural style derived from and inspired by the designs of the Venetian architect
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of ...
(1508–1580).
*
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...
– the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and the absolutist state.
*
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
– an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement which began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque.
*
Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...
– includes several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century.
*
Renaissance Revival architecture
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...
– nineteenth century revival style inspired by buildings of the Renaissance.
*
Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th cent ...
– also called "Victorian Gothic" and "Neo-Gothic", an architectural movement that began in the late 1840s in England. Its popularity grew rapidly in the early 19th century, when increasingly serious and learned admirers of neo-Gothic styles sought to revive medieval forms, in contrast to the neoclassical styles prevalent at the time.
*
Modern architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...
– generally characterized by simplification of form and absence of ornament. Although now historical, the ubiquitous
international style which predominates in cities worldwide remains a strong influence in contemporary architecture.
*
Postmodern architecture – began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture.
*
New Classical architecture – a movement for reapproaching traditional architecture language, that established since the 1980s.
*
Contemporary architecture
Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. No single style is dominant. Contemporary architects work in several different styles, from postmodernism, high-tech architecture and new interpretations of traditional architec ...
– the architecture of the 21st century.
Buildings
Although not all buildings are architecture, the term encompasses a huge range of building types, as summarised in the following list pages:
*
List of building types
Residential
Single-family detached
Examples of single-family detached house types include:
* Bungalow
* Central-passage house (North America)
* Chattel house (Caribbean)
* Cottage (various)
* Courtyard house (various)
* Konak (A ...
*
List of buildings and structures
This is a list of lists of buildings and nonbuilding structures.
By type
* List of abbeys and priories
* List of amphitheatres (contemporary)
* List of amphitheatres (Roman)
* List of ancient Greek theatres
* List of ancient pyramids
**Lis ...
*
List of human habitation forms
This is a list of house types. Houses can be built in a large variety of configurations. A basic division is between free-standing or single-family detached homes and various types of attached or multi-family residential dwellings. Both may v ...
Building construction
*
Building design
Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less complica ...
Materials
*
Materiality (architecture)
Materiality in architecture is a concept or the applied use of various materials or substances in the medium of building. This concept was previously regarded as a secondary consideration in architecture but recently emerged as an important elemen ...
*
Building material
Building material is material used for construction. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, rocks, sand, wood, and even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-ma ...
*
List of building materials
Structural elements
*
Arch – a curved structure, often made up blocks or bricks, spanning across an opening and supporting the weight of structure above. Works by transferring vertical loads into
compression
Compression may refer to:
Physical science
*Compression (physics), size reduction due to forces
*Compression member, a structural element such as a column
*Compressibility, susceptibility to compression
* Gas compression
*Compression ratio, of a ...
forces. There are many arch shapes including semicircular, segmental, parabolic, pointed (gothic), three-point and flat arches.
*
Beam (structure)
A beam is a structural element that primarily resists loads applied laterally to the beam's axis (an element designed to carry primarily axial load would be a strut or column). Its mode of deflection is primarily by bending. The loads applied t ...
– a straight structural member, typically wood or steel, capable of
spanning from one support to another and supporting the weight of structure above. Works by resisting
bending
In applied mechanics, bending (also known as flexure) characterizes the behavior of a slender structural element subjected to an external load applied perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the element.
The structural element is assumed to ...
forces.
*
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral ( ...
– a short section of masonry built at right angles to a wall, to resist lateral forces.
*
Cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...
– a projecting structure without visible means of support at the projecting end.
*
Column or pillar – a relatively slender structural element, typically circular, square or polygonal in plan, that bears the weight of the structure above.
*
Dome – a roof structure, typically
hemispherical, constructed in a similar way to an arch. The plan shape may be circular, elliptical or polygonal, and the cross section shape can vary in the same ways as an arch.
*
Doorway – opening in a wall, typically rectangular, providing means of access, usually with a gate or door to provide security and weather protection.
*
Facade – an exterior face of a building, especially the front.
*
Floor – typically a horizontal surface that is walked upon, to support the expected loads of the building.
*
Foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
or footing – solid base usually below ground, upon which buildings and other structures are built. Works by spreading vertical loads over a sufficient area to ensure the structure will not subside.
*
Lintel – a structural member spanning across the top of an opening. Unlike a beam, a lintel spans a relatively short distance which can be spanned by single block of stone of sufficient depth. Concrete, timber and steel lintels are also used in different types of construction.
*
Pier (architecture)
A pier, in architecture, is an upright support for a structure or superstructure such as an arch or bridge. Sections of structural walls between openings (bays) can function as piers. External or free-standing walls may have piers at the ends ...
– loadbearing structure similar to a column, but more massive.
*
Truss
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...
– a structure spanning in the same way as a beam, but using materials more efficiently by using
triangulation to create a rigid structure. Typically timber or steel, used to support a pitched roof.
*
Vault (architecture)
In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while ring ...
– a curved masonry structure spanning in the same way as an arch, forming either a roof or support for a floor above.
*
Wall
A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including:
* Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the sup ...
– a linear structure enclosing the exterior of an area or building, or subdividing an internal space. A wall may be
loadbearing or non-loadbearing.
*
Window
A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent mat ...
– an opening in a wall, typically rectangular, providing light and ventilation. Usually but not always
glazed.
Architectural education
Professional requirements for architects
Professional requirements for architects vary from place to place, but usually consist of three elements: a university degree or advanced education, a period of internship or training in an office, and examination for registration with a jurisdict ...
– Students undertake specific
vocational training
Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an in ...
in order to qualify as a professional architects. Training typically consists of one or more university degrees and a period of practical experience. In some countries, it is illegal to use the title ''architect'' without accredited qualifications. In the United Kingdom the
Architects Registration Board exists solely to regulate membership of the profession. In the United States the
National Architectural Accrediting Board
The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), established in 1940, is the oldest accrediting agency for architectural education in the United States. The NAAB accredits professional degrees in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. r ...
regulates professional educational programs and the
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) is a nonprofit corporation comprising the legally constituted architectural registration boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puert ...
is an umbrella organization to recommend model laws, regulations, exams, and to facilitate reciprocity in licensure between different jurisdictions. Architectural education can involve degree types that do not directly result in licensing, such as Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, or a research PhD in Architecture. Some of the qualifications specific to architectural licensing include:
*
Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world.
Australia
Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...
(B.Arch.) – undergraduate academic degree designed to satisfy the academic component of professional accreditation bodies, to be followed by a period of practical training prior to professional examination and registration.
*
Master of Architecture
The “Master of Architecture”(M.Arch or MArch) or a “Bachelor of Architecture” is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation (internship, exams) that res ...
(M.Arch.) – professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation (internship, exams) that result in receiving a license.
*
Doctor of Architecture
Doctor of Architecture (D Arch) is a title accorded to students who have completed a degree program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The only university currently offering a Doctor of Architecture degree is the Universit ...
(D.Arch) – doctoral degree in the field of architecture, that can be completed after either a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch), Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree or, in some cases, another degree.
Architectural practice
*
Architectural drawing or architect's drawing - a technical drawing of a building or building project.
*
Architectural design competition
An architectural design competition is a type of design competition in which an organization that intends on constructing a new building invites architects to submit design proposals. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel ...
- a specialist competition inviting architects to submit design proposals for a project.
*
Architectural technology
Architectural technology, or building technology, is the application of technology to the design of buildings. It is a component of architecture and building engineering and is sometimes viewed as a distinct discipline or sub-category. New ...
or building technology - is the application of technology to the design of buildings. It is a component of architecture and building engineering and is sometimes viewed as a distinct discipline or sub-category.
*
Blueprint
A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...
- an obsolete paper-based method of reproducing technical drawings producing a distinctive appearance, white lines on a blue background. The word is still in use as a by-word for a design solution ("a blueprint for future developments").
*
Brief (architecture) - a written statement of a client's requirements for a building project.
*
Building code
A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permiss ...
or building control - a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety and environmental performance in building construction.
*
Computer-aided architectural design
Computer-aided architectural design (CAAD) software programs are the repository of accurate and comprehensive records of buildings and are used by architects and architectural companies for architectural design and architectural engineering. As th ...
(CAAD) - software based production of technical drawings and 3-d models
*
Construction law
Construction law is a branch of law that deals with matters relating to building construction, engineering, and related fields. It is in essence an amalgam of contract law, commercial law, planning law, employment law and tort. Construction law c ...
- a branch of law that deals with matters relating to building construction.
*
Cost accounting
Cost accounting is defined as "a systematic set of procedures for recording and reporting measurements of the cost of manufacturing goods and performing services in the aggregate and in detail. It includes methods for recognizing, classifying, al ...
or cost management - a vital activity in connection with building, generally performed by a specialist
quantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor (QS) is a construction industry professional with expert knowledge on construction costs and contracts. Qualified professional quantity surveyors are known as Chartered Surveyors (Members and Fellows of RICS) in the UK and Ce ...
. Construction projects are notoriously subject to
cost overrun
A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, involves unexpected incurred costs. When these costs are in excess of budgeted amounts due to a value engineering underestimation of the actual cost during budgeting, they are known ...
s, caused by changing circumstances or by failure to fully allow for foreseeable costs during budgeting.
*
Project management
Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. T ...
- the process of managing all the activities involved in a construction project, including adherence to the design and local legislation, costs and payment, and verification of project completion.
Architecture prizes
Architecture prize – Architecture prizes are generally awarded for completed projects and are chosen from publicised or nominated works, not from submissions by the originating architect. The RIBA Royal Gold Medal has in fact been refused on a number of occasions.
*
Aga Khan Award for Architecture
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the field ...
(AKAA) – an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977, awarded for achievements in design and planning in Islamic societies.
*
AIA Gold Medal
The AIA Gold Medal is awarded by the American Institute of Architects conferred "by the national AIA Board of Directors in recognition of a significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture."
It is the Ins ...
– awarded by the American Institute of Architects for a significant body of work 'of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture', first awarded 1907.
*
European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, also known as the Mies van der Rohe Award – awarded jointly by the European Union and the Fundacia Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona, 'to acknowledge and reward quality architectural production in Europe'.
*
Pritzker Architecture Prize – awarded annually to "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture". Founded in 1979 by
Jay A. Pritzker
Jay Arthur Pritzker (August 26, 1922 – January 23, 1999) was an American entrepreneur, conglomerate organizer, and member of the Pritzker family.
Early life and education
Pritzker was born in Chicago, Illinois to Jewish parents who e ...
and his wife Cindy, the award is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
*
RIBA Royal Gold Medal – awarded annually since 1848 by the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
for an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture. It is given for a distinguished body of work rather than for one building.
*
Carbuncle Cup
The Carbuncle Cup was an architecture prize, given annually by the magazine ''Building Design'' to "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months". It was intended to be a humorous response to the prestigious Stirlin ...
– unlike the mainstream awards which reward perceived merit, this is awarded annually by the UK magazine
Building Design
Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less complica ...
to 'the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months'.
more...
Related fields
*
Architectural conservation
Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of any immovable cultural property are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The indivi ...
– repair and restoration of buildings, especially historic structures.
*
Architectural technology
Architectural technology, or building technology, is the application of technology to the design of buildings. It is a component of architecture and building engineering and is sometimes viewed as a distinct discipline or sub-category. New ...
– the application of technology to the design of buildings.
*
Construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Pr ...
– the process of creating physical structures.
*
Building construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
– construction specific to buildings.
*
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...
– the design, construction and maintenance of the physical environment e.g. bridges, canals, dams, drainage systems and roads etc.
*
Building services engineering
Building services engineering is a professional engineering discipline that strives to achieve a safe and comfortable indoor environment whilst minimizing the environmental impact of a building.
Alternative titles are "building services engineerin ...
– the design of heating, ventilation and cooling and other mechanical systems, electrical power and lighting.
*
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and muscles' that create the form and shape of man-made structures. Structural engineers also must understand and cal ...
– the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads.
*
Sustainable design – provides expertise in improving the environmental performance of buildings.
*
Interior design
Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordi ...
– the design of interior finishes and fittings.
*
Urban design
Urban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, cities, and regional spaces, urban d ...
and
urban planning
Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
(urban, city, and town planning) – a technical and legal process concerned with controlling the design of structures and the use of land.
*
Virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
– technology used to simulate a virtual world
See also
*
*
Index of architecture articles
This is an alphabetical index of articles related to architecture.
0–9
* 4th millennium BC in architecture
* 30th century BC in architecture
* 29th century BC in architecture
* 27th century BC in architecture
* 26th century BC in architec ...
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Table of years in architecture The table of years in architecture is a tabular display of all years in architecture, for overview and quick navigation to any year.
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::Contents: #2000s in architecture, 2000s - #1900s in architecture, 1900s - #1800s in architecture, 1800s ...
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Timeline of architecture
This is a timeline of architecture, indexing the individual year in architecture pages. Notable events in architecture and related disciplines including structural engineering, landscape architecture, and city planning. One significant architec ...
References
External links
Architecture.com published by
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
Worldarchitecture.org World Architecture Database
Archdaily.comRecompilation of thousands of recent projects
list of links from the
UIA
arch-library
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Building materials
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...