Trail:

Glossary

Abacus
Flat slab forming the top of a capital on a column or pilaster.
Abutment
The meeting of an arch or vault with its solid lateral support, or the support itself.
Acanthus
Classical formalized leaf ornament.
Accumulator tower
A tower housing a hydraulic accumulator which accommodates fluctuations in the flow through hydraulic mains.
Achievement
In heraldry, a complete display of armorial bearings.
Acroterion (plural: acroteria)
Plinth for a statue or ornament on the apex or ends of a pediment; more usually, both the plinth and what stands on it.
Adam
No. 20, Portman Square
A style associated with the Scottish architect Robert Adam (1728-92), marked by delicate all-over ornament derived largely from the decoration of ancient Roman interiors. It is one of the major contributions to the Neo-Classical phase of British architecture.
Addorsed
Descriptive of two figures placed back to back. Compare affronted.
Aedicule
Pall Mall, London
(lit. little building): Architectural surround, consisting usually of two columns or pilasters supporting a pediment.
Aesthetic Movement
A late-19th-century approach to design, seen at its strongest in interiors and furniture, which rejected the moral fervour behind the Gothic Revival in favour of ‘art for art’s sake’. The results were often eclectic, drawing typically on Renaissance, Oriental and ancient Greek sources. It overlapped with the early Arts and Crafts movement and the Queen Anne style.