Spandrel

A spandrel is the space between two arches. They are ''roughly triangular". Spandrels are horizontal on the side of the ceiling, veritical on the wall/another spandrel, and diagonal on the arch, with a small curve. (This architectural obstacle is dealt with secant lines and tangent lines). Spandrels are, in medieval architecture and mostly in cathedrals, mostly covered, or walled. Spandrels can also be formed by supporting vertical bars, as in bridges.

Illustration of spandrel

Apartments/ Buildings

When structures have more than one floor, spandrels can also mean the space between the bottom of the window in an upper floor and the upper part of the window in the floor below.

Spandrels have different meanings in architecture, art history, eras, and especially structure types.

Bridges

Arches commonly exist in bridge constructions, so spandrels may appear in structures such as these. In historical terms, most arch expansions had solid spandrels, meaning that the areas between arches were completely filled in with masonry. This part was sometimes decorated or carved. This style was popular and well-found until the use of steel and reinforced concrete began in the 19th and 20th centuries, the time of the Industrial Revolution.

Domes

Structures of domes can also contain spandrels. When domes need to rest on a square or a rectangular base, the dome is raised above the level of the supporting pillars with three-dimensional spandrels called pendentives ^{needs link}. The spandrels are three dimentional, because domes are more spherical than arches. These triangular pieces take the weight of the dome and place it onto the poles.

Other websites

• Media related to Spandrels at Wikimedia Commons