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pediment
Sign in to savethumb|300px|Types of pediment; "curved" and "broken" examples at the lower right
A pediment is a triangular or curved architectural element that typically sits above a doorway, window, or the front of a building. It's a recognizable decorative feature that architects have used for centuries to frame entrances and add visual interest to building facades.
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Article
10 sectionsContents
- Variant forms
- History
- Classical
- Medieval
- Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo
- From 1750 to Art Deco
- Postmodern reinterpretations
- See also
- Notes
- References
thumb|300px|Types of pediment; "curved" and "broken" examples at the lower right
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. In ancient architecture, a wide and low triangular pediment (the side angles 12.5° to 16°) typically formed the top element of the portico of a Greek temple, a style continued in Roman temples. But large pediments were rare on other types of building before Renaissance architecture. For symmetric designs, it provides a center point and is often used to add grandness to entrances. thumb|Neoclassicism#Sculpture|Neoclassical pediment of the Madeleine Church, Paris, with sculpture (1826–1834) by [[Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire]]