01
Section 01 of six
Gopuram
Tiers, taper, the hollow interior, and finials that carry nothing.
Fig. 1 — Gopuram
A gopuram is a stack of named parts. Read them in order and the taper explains itself: the section carrying the most is at the bottom, and every tier above sheds weight.
02
Entries in Gopuram5 entries
- 01The elevation, bottom to top, and what each member carriesA gopuram is a stack of named parts. Read them in order and the taper explains itself: the section carrying the most is at the bottom, and every tier above sheds weight.7 min
- 02Why it tapersEach storey set back from the one below. Load, not style, sets the angle.3 min
- 03The hollow interiorThe upper tiers are brick and stucco over a void. What that saves and what it costs.3 min
- 04One stone, one openingThe doorway is spanned by a single lintel, so its width is set by what one stone can span.2 min
- 05Finials carry nothingThe pots along the ridge are the only part of the elevation with no load at all.2 min
03
The other sections