The Architectural Pediment and How to Use It

The Architectural Pediment and How to Use It A pediment is a low-pitched triangular gable originally found on temples in ancient Greece and Rome. Pediments were reinvented during the Renaissance and later imitated in Greek Revival and Neoclassical house styles of the 19th and 20th centuries. Use of pediments has been freely adapted in many styles of architecture, yet remains most closely associated with Greek and Roman (i.e., Classical) derivatives. The word pediment is thought to have come from the word meaning pyramid, as the triangular pediment has a spatial dimension similar to the pyramid. Use of Pediments Originally the pediment had a structural function. As the  Jesuit priest Marc-Antoine Laugier explained in 1755, the pediment is one of only three essential elements of what Laugier called the basic primitive hut. For many Greek temples, first made of wood, the triangular geometry had a structural function. Fast forward 2,000 years from ancient Greece and Rome to the Baroque period of art and architecture, when the pediment became an ornamental detail to be extravagantly modified. Pediments are most often used today to create a solid, regal, stately look-and-feel to the architecture, such as is used for banks, museums, and government buildings. Often, the triangular space is filled with symbolic statuary when a message need be proclaimed. The space within a pediment is sometimes called the tympanum, although this word more commonly refers to the Medieval-era arch areas over a doorway decorated with Christian iconography. In residential architecture, pediments are commonly found above windows and doorways. Examples of Pediments The Pantheon in Rome proves just how far back in time pediments were used - at least 126 A.D. But pediments were around before that, as can be seen in ancient cities around the world, like the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra, Jordan, the Nabataean caravan city influenced by Greek and Roman rulers. Whenever architects and designers turn to ancient Greece and Rome for ideas, the result will likely include the column and the pediment. The Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries was such a time -- a rebirth of Classical designs by the architects Palladio (1508-1580) and Vignola (1507-1573) leading the way. In the United States, American statesman Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) influenced the architecture of a new nation. Jeffersons home, Monticello, incorporates Classical design by using not only a pediment but also a dome - very much like the Pantheon in Rome. Jefferson also designed the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, Virginia, which influenced the federal government buildings being planned for Washington, D.C. Irish-born architect James Hoban (1758-1831) brought Neoclassical ideas from Dublin to the new capital when he modeled the White House after the Leinster House in Ireland. In the 20th century, pediments can be seen throughout America, from the New York Stock Exchange in Lower Manhattan to the 1935 U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. and then on to the 1939 mansion known as Graceland near Memphis, Tennessee. Definition pediment: the triangular gable defined by the crown molding at the edge of a gabled roof and the horizontal line between the eaves. -   John Milnes Baker, AIA Other Uses of the Word Pediment Antique dealers will often use the word pediment to describe an ornate flourish in Chippendale-era furniture. Because the word describes a shape, it is often used to describe man-made and natural shapes. In geology, a pediment is a sloping formation caused by erosion. Five Types of Pediments 1. Triangular Pediment: The most common pediment shape is the pointed pediment, a triangle framed by a cornice or ledge, with the apex at the top, two symmetrical straight lines  sloping to the ends of a horizontal cornice. The rake or angle of the slope can vary. 2. Broken Pediment: In a broken pediment, the triangular outline is non-continuous,  open at the top, and without a point or vertex. The broken space is usually at the top apex (eliminating the top angle), but sometimes at the bottom horizontal side. Broken pediments are often found on antique furniture. A swan-necked or rams head pediment is a type of broken pediment in a highly ornamented S-shape. Broken pediments are found in Baroque architecture, a period of experimentalism in detail, according to Professor Talbot Hamlin, FAIA. The pediment became an architectural detail with little or no structural function. Baroque detail thus became a matter of the increasingly free modification of forms originally classic, to made them sensitive to every possible nuance of emotional expression. Pediments were broken and their sides curved and scrolled, separated by cartouches, or urns; columns were twisted, moldings duplicated and reduplicated to give sharp emphasis, and broken suddenly out and in where a complexity of shadow was desired. - Hamlin, p. 427 3. Segmental Pediment: Also called round or curved pediments, segmental pediments contrast with triangular pediments in that they have a round cornice replacing two sides of the traditional triangular pediment. A segmental pediment might complement or even be called a curvilinear tympanum. 4. Open Pediment: In this type of pediment, the usual strong horizontal line of the pediment is absent or nearly absent. 5. Florentine Pediment:  Before Baroque, architects of the early Renaissance, when sculptors became architects, developed a decorative styling of pediments. Over the years, this architectural detail became known as Florentine pediments, after their use in Florence, Italy. It consists of a semicircular form placed above the entablature, and as wide as the enclosing columns or pilasters. Usually a simple ban of moldings runs around it, and the semicircular field below is often decorated with a shell, although sometimes molded panels and even figures are found. Little rosettes and leaf and flower forms are usually used to fill the corner between the ends of the semicircle and the cornice below, and also as a finial at the top. - Hamlin, p. 331 Pediments for the 21st Century Why do we use pediments? They give a sense of tradition to a home, in the Western Classical architecture sense. Also, the geometric design itself is innately pleasing to the human senses.  For todays homeowners, creating a pediment is a rather simple, inexpensive way to add decoration - usually over a door or window. Have pediments gone sideways? Todays modern skyscraper architects use triangles for structural strength as well as beauty. David Childs design for One World Trade Center (2014) is a good example of aesthetically pleasing grandeur. Norman Fosters Hearst Tower (2006) is filled with triangulation; its beauty is up for discussion. Sources American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker, AIA, Norton, 1994, p. 175Architecture through the Ages by Talbot Hamlin, Putnam, Revised 1953, pp. 444, 427, 331Furniture with broken pediment Agostini/A. Dagli Orti/Getty Images (cropped)Broken Pediment on Residential Portico Richard Leo Johnson/Getty Images (cropped)Contrasting pediments Julian Castle/ArcaidImages/Getty ImagesPediments over windows Brian Bumby/Getty Images

History and Geography of the Florida Keys

History and Geography of the Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a series of islands extending from the southeastern tip of Florida. They begin about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami and extend out toward the southwest and then west toward the Gulf of Mexico and the uninhabited Dry Tortugas islands. Most of the islands making up the Florida Keys are within the Florida Straits, a body of water located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The most populated city in the Florida Keys is Key West; many other areas are sparsely populated. Early Days of the Florida Keys The first inhabitants of the Florida Keys were Native American tribes: the Calusa and Tequesta. Juan Ponce de Leon, who arrived in Florida in about 1513, was one of the first Europeans to find and explore the islands. His attempts to colonize the region for Spain was soundly defeated by the Native people. Over time, Key West began to grow into Floridas largest town due to its proximity to Cuba and the Bahamas and a trade route to New Orleans. In their early days, Key West and the Florida Keys were a major part of the areas wrecking industry- an industry associated with the frequent shipwrecks in the area. In 1822, the Keys (along with the rest of Florida) became an official part of the United States. By the early 1900s, however, Key Wests prosperity began to decline as better navigational techniques reduced area shipwrecks. In 1935 the Florida Keys were struck by one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the United States. On September 2nd of that year, the hurricane winds of over 200 miles per hour (320 km/hr) hit the islands and a storm surge of over 17.5 feet (5.3 m) quickly flooded them. The hurricane killed over 500 people and the Overseas Railway (constructed in the 1910s to connect the islands) was damaged and service stopped. A highway, called the Overseas Highway later replaced the railway as the main form of transportation in the area. The Conch Republic Throughout much of their modern history, the Florida Keys have been a convenient  area for drug smugglers and illegal immigration. As a result, the U.S. Border Patrol began a series of roadblocks on the bridge from the Keys to the mainland to search cars returning to Floridas mainland in 1982. This roadblock later began to hurt the economy of the Florida Keys as it delayed tourists going to and from the islands. Because of the resultant economic struggles the mayor of Key West, Dennis Wardlow, declared the city as independent and renamed it the Conch Republic on April 23, 1982. The citys secession lasted only a short time however and Wardlow eventually surrendered. Key West also still remains a part of the U.S. Islands of the Keys Today the total land area of the Florida Keys is 137.3 square miles (356 sq km) and in total there are over 1700 islands in the archipelago. However, very few of these are populated and most are very small. Only 43 of the islands are connected via bridges. In total there are 42 bridges connecting the islands but the Seven Mile Bridge is the longest. Because there are so many islands within the Florida Keys they are often divided into several different groups. These groups are the Upper Keys, the Middle Keys, the Lower Keys,  and the Outlying Islands. The Upper Keys are those located the farthest north and closest to Floridas mainland and the groups extend out from there. The city of Key West is located in the Lower Keys. The Outer Keys consist of islands that are accessible only by boat. Hurricanes and Flooding The climate of the Florida Keys is tropical, as is the southern part of the state of Florida. However, because of the islands location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, they are very prone to hurricanes. Because the islands have low elevations, are surrounded by water, and flooding from the storms surges can easily affect large areas of the Keys, hurricanes can be especially problematic. Evacuation orders are regularly put into place due to flood threats. Coral Reefs and Biodiversity Geologically, the Florida Keys are made up of the  main exposed parts of  coral reefs. Some of the islands have been exposed for so long that sand has built up around them, creating barrier islands while other smaller islands remain as coral atolls. Additionally, there is also still a large coral reef offshore of the Florida Keys in the Florida Straits. This reef is called the Florida Reef and it is the third largest barrier reef in the world.   The Florida Keys are a highly biodiverse area because of the presence of coral reefs as well as undeveloped forested areas. Dry Tortugas National Park is located about 70 miles (110 km) from Key West and, since those islands are uninhabited, they are some of the most well preserved and protected areas in the world. The waters around the islands are home to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Because of its biodiversity, ecotourism is becoming a large part of the Florida Keys economy. Other forms of tourism and fishing are the major industries of the islands.