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entasis |
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entasis (ĕn`təsĭs) [Gr.,=stretching], the slight convex curvature of a classical column column, vertical architectural support, circular or polygonal in plan. A column is generally at least four or five times as high as its diameter or width; stubbier freestanding masses of masonry are usually called piers or pillars, particularly those with a ..... Click the link for more information. that diminishes in diameter as it rises. This device, as used by Greek builders, was of extreme subtlety, the freehand curvature being merely sufficient to guard the contours of the column from any appearance of inward sagging. In the Doric columns of the Parthenon, 34 ft (10.3 m) high and 6 ft 3 in. (1.9 m) in diameter at the bottom, the total convexity amounts to only 3-4 in. (1.91 cm). In Greek Doric columns the entasis began at the foot, but in the Roman orders it was confined to the upper two thirds of the column. entasisConvex curve given to a column, spire, or similar upright member to avoid the optical illusion of hollowness or weakness that would arise from normal tapering. Exaggerated in Greek work of the Doric order, it grew more and more subtle in the 5th–4th century BC. Entasis is also occasionally found in Gothic spires and in smaller Romanesque columns. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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The elevated wing seems at first sight to be a pure cubic volume, but it too is manipulated, rising from the body of the building to its cantilevered end--an adjustment that, like entasis, is an optical correction to lighten its appearance. Plaintiff) verses Entasis and Hal Kolker (Defendants) regarding the parties' ownership and management rights and obligations of Tickets2Nite, LLC. A distinctive form within which spiralling light wells harness pressure differentials and daylight to improve passive ventilation and lighting performance, and external entasis reduces the building's perceived bulk and contribution to street level wind pollution. |
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