April 12, 2005

Obscure Architectural Term of the Day!

I missed this last week due to the move because it was packed in a box marked "old underwear." Anyway...

PERRON. An exterior platform ascended by steps and leading to the (usually first-floor) entrance to a house, church, etc. The door opens onto it. More loosely, the flight or flights of steps ascending to the platform.

From the Penguin Dictionary of Architecture, Third Edition.

In this instance, you have to remember that in European parlance, the first floor is the first floor above the ground floor, so this is a pretty tall flight of stairs. Probert's has a pretty good illustration of the idea (as well as a slightly different definition).

Posted by Terry Oglesby at April 12, 2005 08:39 AM
Comments

What exactly are architectural pretensions? A flying buttress that acts, but really wants to direct?

Posted by: skinnydan at April 12, 2005 10:35 AM

I think it's stuff that regular folks think looks stupid, and artsy-fartsy types swoon over.

Anyway, who DOESN'T want to direct!?

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 12, 2005 10:40 AM