Portal (architecture)

Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. [cite book | first = Francis | last = Ching | year = 1997 | title = A Visual Dictionary of Architecture | location = New York | publisher = Van Nostrand Reinhold | id = ISBN 0-442-02462-2] Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of simple building materials or decorated with ornamentation. The elements of a portal can include the voussoir, tympanum, an ornamented mullion or "trumeau" between doors, and columns with carvings of saints in the westwork of a church.

See also

* Arch
* Cathedral
* Door
* Gate
* Vault

References