Cupola

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

For other uses, see Cupola (disambiguation).

The word derives, via Italian, from the lower Latin cupula (classical Latin cupella from the Greek κύπελλον kupellon) "small cup" (Latin cupa) indicating a vault resembling an upside down cup.[lower-alpha 1]

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. The chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure.

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.[3] Barns often have cupolas for ventilation.[4][5]

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.[6][7]

  • 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
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See also

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

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