Architecture 101 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pointed arch, flying buttress, ribbed vault

Gothic architecture originated in France in the 12th Century and was popular into the 16th Century. Art Deco had bold geometric shapes, lavish ornamentation,and vibrant colors. Neoclassic generally replicated Classical with the emphasis on the wall. And Baroque used light, illusory effects, and ceiling frescoes.

Answer: Tuscan

A Tuscan column is Roman, not Greek. It is unfluted and has a plain base and capital. The other three are Greek and all are more elaborate than the Tuscan.

Answer: The face/front of a building

Facade has also come to mean a false/superficial appearance. A dome is the hemispherical roof of a building or room. A pedestal supports a column. And a wing is a building extension.

Answer: Oriel

An oriel is a projecting bay window on an upper floor. Gable and Mansard are both roof styles. Cross is a type of vault.

Answer: Wren

Christopher Wren is generally considered the greatest British architect. After the Great London fire in 1666, he designed 52 new churches, including St. Paul's Cathedral. Among his other designs are the Royal Observatory and the Naval Hospital in Greenwich, the Trinity College Library at Cambridge, and the Tom Tower at Christ Church Oxford.

Answer: Altes Museum, Germany

The Altes Museum in Berlin is Neoclassical. It was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Other Neoclassic buildings include the White House and Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Answer: Vertical pieces on each side of door/window

The horizontal pieces at the bottom of a door/window are called sills. The top of a window/door opening is termed a head. A lintel is a horizontal beam over a door/window that bears the weight of a wall.

Answer: The White House, Washington, D.C.

Although the White House and US Capitol are both representative of Neoclassical architecture, only the Capitol has a dome. Other domed edifices include the Pantheon in Rome, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Answer: Arch

The keystone is a central wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch that holds all of the parts of the arch together. Examples include the Arch of Titus in Rome and the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona.

Answer: Mausoleum

Examples of mausoleums include the Taj Mahal, the Mausoleum of Augustus, and Grant's Tomb. A pagoda is a temple often in the shape of a tower. A rotunda is a circular room or building, often with a dome. And a turret is a small tower on the top of a building.