Skip to content
EveryLingua All languagesDictionary
Sign in
EN
DEDeutschENEnglishESEspañolFRFrançaisITItalianoPTPortuguêsHIहिन्दीZH中文JA日本語KO한국어TRTürkçePLPolskiUKУкраїнськаNLNederlandsARالعربية

C2  ·  32 words

Architecture and building history in French

Structure, articulation, and what a building says to the street.

Practise this list

From these 32 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

The last entry is une façade classée, and its adjective is the sort of cognate that walks a reader straight into the opposite meaning. In French, classer is what the state does when it takes a building under its protection: un monument classé, une église classée au titre des monuments historiques, and the act itself is le classement. Nothing is hidden by it — quite the reverse, since the whole point is that the façade is now public property in the sense that matters, and the owner may no longer cut a window in it. English puts that on a different word altogether. A protected building here is « listed », graded I, II* or II, and an ancient earthwork is « scheduled »; « a listed building » is the phrase every planning officer writes. Our « classified » belongs to secrecy — « a classified document », « classified information » — so « a classified façade » reads as a wall somebody is hiding, which is exactly wrong. Note also that classé in French covers plain ranking, classé premier, and that English has no verb to lend the other way: une façade listée does not exist.

The words

Phrase (8)

échelle humainehuman scalePhraseC2
La place garde une échelle humaine.The square keeps to a human scale.
mur-rideaucurtain wallPhraseC2
Le mur-rideau ne porte rien.The curtain wall carries nothing.
taux de vitrageglazing ratioPhraseC2
Le taux de vitrage décide du confort d’été.The glazing ratio decides how comfortable the rooms are in summer.
facteur de lumière du jourdaylight factorPhraseC2
Le facteur de lumière du jour se mesure au sol.The daylight factor is measured at floor level.
grain urbainurban grainPhraseC2
Le grain urbain change d’une rue à l’autre.The urban grain changes from one street to the next.
front de ruestreet frontagePhraseC2
Le front de rue reste continu sur tout le pâté de maisons.The street frontage stays unbroken along the whole block.
densité de constructionplot ratioPhraseC2
La densité de construction est fixée par le plan.The plot ratio is fixed by the local plan.
façade classéelisted façadePhraseC2
La façade classée ne peut pas être percée.The listed façade may not be cut through.

Noun (f) (14)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

la coupe du bâtimentthe cross section of the buildingNoun (f)C2
La coupe du bâtiment montre la hauteur sous plafond.The cross section of the building shows the height from floor to ceiling.
la volumétriethe massingNoun (f)C2
La volumétrie reste simple et lisible.The massing stays simple and easy to read.
la symétriethe symmetryNoun (f)C2
La symétrie de la façade saute aux yeux.The symmetry of the front is immediately obvious.
la tectoniquethe tectonicsNoun (f)C2
La tectonique de l’ouvrage se lit dans les joints.The tectonics of the structure can be read in its joints.
la portée librethe clear spanNoun (f)C2
La portée libre de la salle impressionne.The clear span of the hall is impressive.
la voûtethe vaultNoun (f)C2
La voûte repose sur quatre piliers.The vault rests on four piers.
la colonnadethe colonnadeNoun (f)C2
La colonnade longe toute la cour.The colonnade runs the whole length of the courtyard.
la coupolethe domeNoun (f)C2
La coupole laisse entrer la lumière par le haut.The dome lets the light in from above.
l’absidethe apseNoun (f)C2
L’abside ferme le chœur.The apse closes the chancel.
la claire-voiethe clerestoryNoun (f)C2
La claire-voie éclaire la nef par le haut.The clerestory lights the nave from above.
la cour intérieurethe inner courtyardNoun (f)C2
La cour intérieure reste fraîche en été.The inner courtyard stays cool in summer.
la loggiathe loggiaNoun (f)C2
La loggia s’ouvre sur le jardin.The loggia opens onto the garden.
l’ornementationthe ornamentNoun (f)C2
L’ornementation a disparu lors de la rénovation.The ornament disappeared during the refurbishment.
l’architecture vernaculairethe vernacular architectureNoun (f)C2
L’architecture vernaculaire suit le climat et les matériaux du lieu.Vernacular architecture follows the climate and the materials of the place.

Noun (m) (10)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

le porte-à-fauxthe cantileverNoun (m)C2
Le porte-à-faux abrite l’entrée.The cantilever shelters the entrance.
l’arcthe archNoun (m)C2
L’arc s’ouvre vers le cloître.The arch opens towards the cloister.
l’arc-boutantthe flying buttressNoun (m)C2
L’arc-boutant reporte la poussée vers l’extérieur.The flying buttress carries the thrust outwards.
le chapiteauthe capital (of a column)Noun (m)C2
Le chapiteau porte un décor de feuilles.The capital bears a decoration of leaves.
le frontonthe pedimentNoun (m)C2
Le fronton porte une inscription.The pediment carries an inscription.
le portiquethe porticoNoun (m)C2
Le portique protège de la pluie.The portico gives shelter from the rain.
le transeptthe transeptNoun (m)C2
Le transept coupe la nef en son milieu.The transept cuts across the nave at its middle.
l’atriumthe atriumNoun (m)C2
L’atrium relie les deux ailes.The atrium joins the two wings.
le décrochementthe setbackNoun (m)C2
Le décrochement des étages hauts allège la façade.The setback of the upper storeys lightens the front.
le brutalismebrutalismNoun (m)C2
Le brutalisme montre le béton tel quel.Brutalism shows the concrete exactly as it comes.

Back to the quiz ↑

Missing a word? Look it up in the dictionary

This list belongs to Art and culture — 26 lists and 929 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Hear and recognise these words in the listening trainer