Carved Moulding

A decorative horizontal band, that projects slightly from the surface of the wall of a building.

Classical Style

An architectural style which uses the principles of Greek or Roman architecture, which is based on a established sense of proportion and distinct decorative details.

Column

A slender, pillar-like structure. Columns are usually made of stone, wood or metal and are used as supports or ornaments on buildings. Columns can be structural supports or decorative. Some of the most beautiful columns on Parliament Hill are found inside the buildings.

Cornerstone

A stone built into a corner of a building as its formal beginning. The laying of a cornerstone is often accompanied by special ceremonies. This was the case when the cornerstone for Parliament Buildings was laid.

Dome

A large rounded roof or ceiling on a circular or many sided base. Domes are often decorated with stained or painted glass adding light, color and drama to a room or foyer. The dome ceiling of the library is one of the most beautiful on Parliament Hill.

Finial

An ornament on the top of a roof or the corner of a tower, often in the general shape of a fleur-de-lis.

Gargoyle

A figurine that projects from a roof or the parapet of a wall or tower and is carved into a grotesque figure, human or animal. Gargoyles are both functional, acting as spouts carrying off rain water from rooftops, and decorative. (The word Gargoyle is derived from a French word for a trough or pipe 'gargouille') There are four Gargoyles on the Peace Tower which are characteristic of Gothic Architecture.

Gilded

Covered with a thin layer of gold.

Gothic Arch

A narrow, pointed opening is the hallmark of a Gothic arch. The Gothic arch developed as a more elegant successor to the Roman arch and was widely used in cathedrals of the Middle Ages such as Notre Dame in Paris.

Gothic Revival Style

Adopts the architectural features of traditional Gothic Style, rather than trying to recreate an entire Gothic building.

Grotesque

A marginal figure or animal, or combination of human and animal or plant. These are most often found in Gothic manuscript illustration and especially in marginal illustration.

Iron Cresting

A decorative rail, or a row of finials, or another feature at the top of a building, often along the ridge of the roof.

Pinnacle

A slender turret or spire. These can be found on the roof of the Library of Parliament and near the top of the Peace Tower.

Stained Glass

Glass coloured by metallic oxides, often used in church windows. The floral emblems of the provinces are portrayed in the stained glass windows of the House of Commons .

Turrets

Small towers, often found on the corners of buildings. A number of turrets are visible on Parliament Buildings.

Some of the Glossary terms listed here are adapted from A History of Canadian Architecture by Harold Kalman.