Arts & History
MediumArchitecture Crossword: Architectural Shapes
Category: Arts & HistoryDifficulty: Medium13 × 13
Sunday, September 6
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Enter one letter per square. Answers run Across or Down. Omit spaces and accents; any special spelling convention is stated in the clue. This is a freeform themed grid, so some letters are not crossed.
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About This Theme
You can read a building almost like a sentence once you know the names of its parts. This crossword focuses on visible forms: openings, supports, roofs and the elements that mark an entrance. Picture the position described in the clue before reaching for a term. Some answers come from classical architecture, but others belong to ordinary houses. The crossings connect those familiar and specialist vocabularies in the same way a building combines practical structure with decoration.
Clues
Across
- 2Topmost shaped part of a column (7)
- 4Covered entrance supported by columns (7)
- 6Triangular wall section beneath a sloping roof (5)
- 9Arched structure forming a ceiling or roof (5)
- 10Rounded roof shaped like part of a sphere (4)
- 11Tall, tapering structure atop a tower (5)
- 12Triangular architectural feature above a classical facade (8)
Down
- 1Horizontal beam spanning a doorway or window (6)
- 3Curved structure spanning an opening (4)
- 5Projecting support built against a wall (8)
- 7Edges of a roof that project beyond the wall (5)
- 8Upright architectural support, often cylindrical (6)
Answers and Explanations
After Your Solve
COLUMN, CAPITAL and PEDIMENT can appear together, but each identifies a different part. A capital sits at the top of a column; a pediment is a triangular feature often placed above a classical front. ARCH and LINTEL offer another useful contrast in how an opening is spanned. These distinctions make the clues more precise than simply asking for a building feature. Try mentally labeling an entrance you know with the completed answers. It is a way to test understanding that does not depend on remembering the clue's wording.
- 2 acrossCAPITAL
The capital is distinct from the shaft below.
- 4 acrossPORTICO
A portico provides a sheltered approach.
- 6 acrossGABLE
A gable appears at the end of many pitched roofs.
- 9 acrossVAULT
A vault extends an arched form over a space.
- 10 acrossDOME
A dome covers a space with a curved form.
- 11 acrossSPIRE
A spire narrows toward its top.
- 12 acrossPEDIMENT
A pediment often crowns a templelike front.
- 1 downLINTEL
A lintel spans an opening without forming an arch.
- 3 downARCH
An arch carries loads around the opening beneath it.
- 5 downBUTTRESS
A buttress helps resist forces acting on the wall.
- 7 downEAVES
Eaves overhang the exterior wall.
- 8 downCOLUMN
A column supports a structure above it.
Further Reading
- Theme referencearchitecture.com
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