A capital is the topmost, often decorated part, or head, of a column, pilaster or pier. It forms the transition between the shaft and what it carries, such as an architrave or an arch, and helps spread the load.
Characteristics
The capital sits where the vertical shaft meets the horizontal or curved element above it. Its widening form both marks this junction visually and distributes the concentrated load over the top of the column.
Capitals are one of the clearest ways to identify an architectural style. The classical orders each have their own:
- Doric: plain and severe, with a simple cushion-like head.
- Ionic: characterised by scroll-like volutes at the corners.
- Corinthian: richly carved with acanthus leaves.
- Composite: combining Ionic volutes with Corinthian foliage.
Later periods added their own versions, such as the leaf capitals of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, often carved with stylised plants, figures or biblical scenes.
Application
Capitals appear wherever columns or pilasters are used, from temple porticoes and church naves to the facades of grand houses and public buildings. Beyond their structural role of gathering the load, they give designers a focal point for ornament and a way to express the character of a building. Recognising a capital’s form is a reliable clue to the age and style of a structure.
Related terms
- Column
- Leaf capital
- Architrave
- Pilaster
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