What is the triangular shape over a colonnade called?

What is the triangular shape over a colonnade called?

• A. Pediment
• B. Portico
• C. Frieze
• D. Architrave

Answer: (A)

The triangular shape over a colonnade is a pediment. In classical architecture, the pediment is the triangular gable that crowns a front-facing façade, sitting above the entablature and the row of columns of a portico. It often carries sculpture or reliefs and visually caps the façade. This differs from a portico, which is the porch-like, column-supported space itself; a frieze, which is the horizontal decorative band just below the cornice; and an architrave, which is the bottom lintel of the entablature resting on the columns.

The triangular shape over a colonnade is a pediment. In classical architecture, the pediment is the triangular gable that crowns a front-facing façade, sitting above the entablature and the row of columns of a portico. It often carries sculpture or reliefs and visually caps the façade. This differs from a portico, which is the porch-like, column-supported space itself; a frieze, which is the horizontal decorative band just below the cornice; and an architrave, which is the bottom lintel of the entablature resting on the columns.