Grotesque are mythical stone figures fixed to building walls or roofs. Term "babewyn" referred to both gargoyles and chimerae in Middle Ages. Originally designed as water drainage spouts, later evolved into decorative elements
List includes over 800 medieval castles with visible remains. Excludes pre-medieval fortifications and architectural follies. Criteria include castle-like appearance, fortification strength, and site authenticity. Most surviving castles are ruined or altered over centuries
Tympanum is a decorative wall surface over entrances with lintel and arch. Pediments first appeared in Classical Greece around 700-480 BCE. Early Roman pediments were curved and triangular, later abstracted. Early tympanums featured inscriptions and religious imagery
Pointed arches originated in Bronze Age Nippur (2700 BC). First appeared in eastern Christian, Byzantine and Sasanian architecture. Clearest pre-Islamic examples are Chytroi-Constantia Aqueduct in Cyprus (7th century)
First skyscrapers built between 1884-1945 in New York and Chicago. Chicago's Home Insurance Building (1885) was first true skyscraper. Technological advancements enabled iron-framed structures with deep foundations. New York pioneered tower design, Chicago focused on palazzo-style buildings
Arcade is a succession of arches supported by columns or piers. Ancient Greeks and Romans used arcades extensively. Gothic architecture featured arcades in cathedrals and cloisters. Renaissance architects used elegant arcades on facades