What is balustrade in architecture?

Found lining many staircases and terraces, a balustrade is a row of small columns topped by a rail. The term is derived from the form’s constituent posts, called balusters, a name coined in 17th-century Italy for the bulbous item’s resemblance to blossoming pomegranate flowers (balaustra in Italian).

Who invented the balustrade?

The baluster design used for architectural ornamentation is widely considered to have begun by Renaissance architects. One of the favorite architects of the wealthy patron Lorenzo de’ Medici was Giuliano da Sangallo (1443-1516).

What is a balustrade roof?

Balustrade, low screen formed by railings of stone, wood, metal, glass, or other materials and designed to prevent falls from roofs, balconies, terraces, stairways, and other elevated architectural elements. These supporting columns are known as balusters and may be of shaped wood or metal and either decorated or not.

Where balustrade used?

Balustrades are rows of small columns below a railing commonly used for staircases and balconies. Historically they play a common part in architecture featuring most predominately being revived during the Italian Renaissance period.

What type of building that features a balustrade?

The balustrade is a common classical method of crowning a building that has a flat/low-lying roof. (The classical block aesthetic is also known as “Beaux-Arts style”, since it was developed principally by the French École des Beaux-Arts.)

What is the top of a balustrade called?

Balustrade

  • Spindles—the vertical supports that sit between a handrail and base rail. Also known as a balustrade.
  • Base rail—sits on top of the string or along a landing.
  • Handrail—a rail that sits on top of the baluster/spindles.
  • Newel post—the vertical post that supports the handrail at the top and bottom of the stairs.

What is balustrade made of?

Balustrade Materials A balustrade can be made from virtually any material, including but not limited to: wood, vinyl, cast stone, concrete, G.F.R.C, glass, metal, stone, composite, fiberglass, synthetic stone, high density polyurethane, and more.

What is a solid balustrade called?

Spindles—the vertical supports that sit between a handrail and base rail. Also known as a balustrade. Some staircases have glass panels, wooden panels or metal spindles instead of traditional timber spindles. solid, so metal spindles or glass brackets can be screwed directly onto them.

What are the types of balustrade?

Stainless steel balustrades

  • Glass Balcony Systems.
  • Bolted Glass Balustrade Systems.
  • Glass Balustrade Clamping Systems.
  • Channel Set Glass Balustrade Systems.
  • Curved Glass Balustrade Systems for Spiral Staircases.
  • External Glass Balustrade Systems.
  • Post and Clamp Glass Balustrade Systems.
  • Post and Rail Glass Balustrade Systems.

What are the 3 main parts of a guardrail?

Guardrails have three main parts: a top rail, a mid rail, and a toe board.

Are there balusters in the Institute of classical architecture?

Senior Architectural Historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and a member of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s Advisory Council Balusters and balustrades are such a familiar element of the classical vocabulary that we can easily assume they are an ancient form.

Where did the idea of a balustrade come from?

The balustrade is a common part of architecture today, combining the function of the handrail with the decorative aspect of the repetitive balusters. But where did this idea come from?

Is the balustrade a railing or a railing?

The balustrade is a surprisingly versatile component, capable of adapting to any architectural space. No wonder it’s had a starring role in so many productions. The railing along stairs, balconies, or porches is called a balustrade.

What’s the difference between a balustrade and a colonnade?

That’s called a colonnade. In the same sense, a balustrade is a total feature made up of individual parts, and those parts are called balusters. A baluster is essentially a small pillar, column, or post. While perhaps the most common form of a decorative baluster is one with a rounded bottom and tapered top,…