- "Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns."
The triangular-shaped gable located above the horizontal structure (entablature) that wraps around a building, often decorated with relief sculptures.
Classical Architecture: An overview of the overarching style and elements of ancient Greek and Roman architecture that influenced pediments.
Antiquity: The historical context in which classical architecture, including pediments, originated and flourished.
Anatomy of a Pediment: An exploration of the various components that make up a pediment, including the tympanum, cornice, and raking cornice.
Types of Pediments: An examination of the different styles of pediments, such as triangular, segmental, and broken.
Purpose and Symbolism: A deep dive into the function and meaning behind pediments, including their use as architectural ornamentation and storytelling devices.
Iconography and Mythology: A study of the various figures and motifs commonly depicted in pediments, such as the gods and goddesses of classical mythology.
Regional Variations: An exploration of how pediments differ across distinct regions and cultures, such as the use of gabled pediments in Chinese architecture.
Historical Eras: An examination of how pediments have evolved over time, from ancient Greece to modern-day interpretations of classical architecture.
Materials and Construction: A study of the materials and techniques used to create pediments, such as marble, limestone, and terra cotta.
Integration with Surrounding Features: An analysis of how pediments interact with other architectural features, such as columns and friezes.
Triangular pediment: This type of pediment is the most common and is characterised by its triangular shape. It is defined by two sloping sides that meet at the apex.
Segmental pediment: The segmental pediment is curved instead of triangular.
Broken pediment: The broken pediment features a central gap that separates the two sloping sides; this gap often houses a decorative element such as a bust or statue.
Open pediment: This type of pediment does not have a solid tympanum (the part of the pediment between the two sloping sides); instead, it is open or empty.
Inverted pediment: The inverted pediment is the opposite of the triangular pediment, with the apex pointing downwards.
Circular or oval pediment: Instead of being triangular, the circular pediment is, as the name suggests, circular, while oval pediments are oval in shape.
Greek pediment: The Greek pediment features a series of horizontal lines which fill the tympanum.
Roman pediment: The Roman pediment, also known as the Baroque or scrolled pediment, is more elaborate and features curved edges and scrolling.
Swan-necked pediment: This type of pediment is also known as a serpentine or broken-scroll pediment and features undulating or curved lines in the tympanum.
Palmette pediment: This type of pediment is decorated with a repeating pattern of stylised palm-like leaves.
Lion's head pediment: This type of pediment features a sculpted lion's head at the centre of the pediment.
Cartouche pediment: Cartouche pediments are oval or rectangular panels that contain important information or heraldry, often used on façade of Baroque buildings.
- "For symmetric designs, it provides a center point and is often used to add grandness to entrances."
- "The cornice continues round the top of the pediment, as well as below it; the rising sides are often called the 'raking cornice'."
- "The tympanum is the triangular area within the pediment, which is often decorated with a pedimental sculpture which may be freestanding or a relief sculpture."
- "The main variant shapes are the 'segmental', 'curved' or 'arch' pediment, where the straight line triangle of the cornice is replaced by a curve making a segment of a circle, the broken pediment where the cornice has a gap at the apex, and the open pediment, with a gap in the cornice along the base."
- "Pediments are found in ancient Greek architecture as early as 580 BC, in the archaic Temple of Artemis, Corfu, which was probably one of the first."
- "Pediments return in Renaissance architecture and are then much used in later styles such as Baroque, Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture, which favoured the segmental variant."
- "But large pediments were rare on other types of building before Renaissance architecture."
- "The tympanum may hold an inscription, or in modern times, a clock face."
- "The side angles [are] 12.5° to 16°."
- "[Pediments] are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns."
- "The broken pediment has a gap at the apex."
- "Pediments... are then much used in later styles such as Baroque, Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture, which favoured the segmental variant."
- "The curved or 'arch' pediment... [replaces] the straight line triangle of the cornice [with] a curve making a segment of a circle."
- "The tympanum may hold an inscription, or in modern times, a clock face."
- "The rising sides are often called the 'raking cornice'."
- "In ancient architecture, a wide and low triangular pediment typically formed the top element of the portico of a Greek temple, a style continued in Roman temples."
- "Pediments return in Renaissance architecture and are then much used in later styles such as Baroque, Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture, which favoured the segmental variant."
- "Both triangular and segmental pediments can have 'broken' and 'open' forms."
- "For symmetric designs, it provides a center point and is often used to add grandness to entrances."