What is an Architectural Column?
An architectural column can be used as a structural component to a building, a decorative element, or both. Columns offer vertical support for arches or balconies, adding a dignified appearance to homes and public buildings. They may be arranged in a colonnade, or to support a gazebo in an English garden. Architectural columns are sometimes installed simply for the purpose of freestanding decoration. The majestic quality of columns is recognized and appreciated by architecture lovers around the world. An architectural column that is used for support will be made of a sturdy material, such as wood, stone, steel or manufactured synthetic products. Stone columns are often carved from granite or marble. Reinforced steel columns are usually encased in a decorative material to enhance their aesthetic appeal. The first documented use of an architectural column with decorative elements was more than 5,000 years ago in Egypt. Simple carvings representing bundled reeds embellished the surface of
A column in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits through compression the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. Architectural Columns may support a roof or a beams or they may be purely decorative. The bottom portion of the architectural Columns is referred to as the “base.” The top of a column is referred to as the “capital.” A Column in the world of architecture refers specifically to such a structural element that also has certain proportional and decorative features; thereby the term “Architectural Column.” If you came to this site shopping for architectural columns, please visit our company page here > NOTE: Other compression members are often termed columns because of the similar stress conditions. Columns can be either compounded of parts or made as a single piece.
