Cupola

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For other uses, see Cupola (disambiguation).
Cupola
A cupola over a cella. "Cave with the Ring-Bearing Doves" (Cave 123) at the Kizil Caves, Xinjiang, China, 6th-7th century CE. Reconstitution in the Museum für Asiatische Kunst

In architecture, a cupola /ˈkjuːpələ/, sometimes US: /ˈkuːpələ/,[1] is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building.[2] Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.[3][4]

The word derives, via Italian, from lower Latin cupula (classical Latin cupella from Greek κύπελλον kupellon) 'small cup' (Latin cupa) indicating a vault resembling an upside-down cup.[a]

Background[]

The cupola evolved during the Renaissance from the older oculus. Being weatherproof, the cupola was better suited to the wetter climates of northern Europe.[citation needed] The chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure.[citation needed]

Cupolas often serve as a belfry, belvedere, or roof lantern above a main roof. In other cases they may crown a spire, tower, or turret.[4] Barns often have cupolas for ventilation.[5][6]

Cupolas can also appear as small buildings in their own right.

The square, dome-like segment of a North American railroad train caboose that contains the second-level or "angel" seats is also called a cupola.[7][8]

Gallery[]

  • White marble cupolas cap minarets at the Tomb of Jahangir in Lahore, Pakistan

  • Cupolas on the towers of Montefiascone Cathedral, Italy.

  • Interior of cupola ceiling in the old Synagogue of Győr, Hungary.

  • Ribbed cupola crowns the minaret of the Mosque of Uqba, in Kairouan, Tunisia.

  • Inside of Armenian Orthodox church cupola in Lviv, Ukraine.

  • Cupolas were also used on some old barns for ventilation.

  • View from the interior of Cupola module on the International Space Station.

  • Trompe-l'œil painting of a cupola in a church in Northern Italy (Brivio)

  • A cupola-style caboose with an "angel seat" above

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ In Italian cupola simply means 'dome', and the ornamental top element is called lanterna.

References[]

  1. ^ Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 2000. Pronunciation: ˈkyüpələ, ÷-pəˌlō sometimes ÷ˈkü- or ÷-pyə-
  2. ^ "Glossary of Architectural Terms - C". Archiseek: Online Architecture Resources. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  3. ^ "cupola". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Just what is a cupola anyway?". Cupola Consulting. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  5. ^ "What is a cupola and why do barns have them?". Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  6. ^ Active Interest Media, Inc. (November 1980). Old-House Journal. Active Interest Media, Inc. p. 177. ISSN 0094-0178.
  7. ^ "Railroad Dictionary: A". CSX.com. CSX Transportation. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  8. ^ Zabel, Darcy (2005). The (Underground) Railroad in African American Literature. Peter Lang. p. 5. ISBN 9780820468167.
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