Compound pier or cluster pier is the architectural term given to a clustered column or

pier Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.">England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th ...

which consists of a centre mass or newel, to which engaged or semi-detached shafts have been attached, in order to perform (or to suggest the performance of) certain definite structural objects, such as to carry arches of additional orders, or to support the transverse or diagonal ribs of a

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

, or the tie-beam of an important roof. In these cases, though performing different functions, the drums of the pier are often cut out of one stone. There are, however, cases where the shafts are detached from the pier and coupled to it by annulets at regular heights, as in the Early English period. A pilier cantonné is one type of compound pier. Compound piers can often be found in Romanesque cathedrals.

Pilier cantonné

A pilier cantonné is a type of compound pier commonly associated with High Gothic architecture. First used in the construction of the

Chartres Cathedral Chartres Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), is a Roman Catholic church in Chartres, France, about southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Mostly con ...

, the pilier cantonné has four colonettes attached to a large central core that support the

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

, aisle vaults and nave-vaulting responds. File:Cathedral antiquities (1814) (14771846012).jpg, Diagram of compound pier in Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, England File:Saint-Leu-d'Esserent (60), église St-Nicolas, nef, pilier cantonné au nord 2.jpg, Pilier cantonné

References

Architectural elements Gothic architecture {{Architecturalelement-stub