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Aisle & Apse Read the building

Features / Walls, arches & windows

Walls, arches & windows

Pier

A solid upright masonry support, heavier than a column. Gothic piers are often clustered: a core with slender shafts attached that run up into the vault ribs.

Where to look
The supports of the arcade: round drums, squares, or bundles of shafts.
Styles
On the drawings
Cross-section

Not sure of the style? Use the Style Finder

Cross-section of a vaulted building with a nave, two aisles and flying buttresses. Each label links to its feature. NAVE AISLE AISLE RoofPinnacleFlying buttressButtressAisleRib vaultClerestoryTriforiumArcadePierNave
Cross-sectionPier is highlighted.