A gallery is an elongated, covered passage that is often open on one side. In construction the word has several meanings, depending on the context and the building period.
Application
The term gallery is used in three main senses:
1. Access deck along the facade
In a gallery-access block of flats, the gallery is the open or half-open passage that runs along the facade and gives access to the individual dwellings. From the gallery you reach the front door of each unit. This form of access is cheaper than an internal corridor system and brings daylight and air to the access side. The gallery usually rests on a concrete structure and is closed off on the outside with a railing or balustrade.
2. Open colonnade or arcade
A gallery can also be an open colonnade: a covered passage one long side of which is formed by a row of columns or piers with arches. This form — related to the arcade — appears at cloisters, palaces and town squares. It provides a sheltered walkway with a view of the courtyard or the square.
3. Raised balcony or balustraded walkway
In a church or hall, a gallery is a raised walkway or balcony, often set off by a balustrade. Think of the organ gallery above the entrance of a church or the upper tier in a theatre. This gallery provides extra seating or standing room and sits above ground level, overlooking the space below.
What links all three meanings is the idea of a long, narrow, covered space that is open on at least one side to its surroundings.
Related terms
- Arcade
- Facade
- Dwarf gallery
- Balustrade
- Colonnade
Learn more about construction terms in our knowledge base on fredsdiyplans.com.