Pavilion

This article is about the structure. For other uses, seePavilion (disambiguation).

Inarchitecture,pavilionhas several meanings;

• It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure.In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia, there may be pavilions that are either freestanding or connected by covered walkways, as in theForbidden City(Chinese pavilions),Topkapi PalaceinIstanbul,and inMughalbuildings like theRed Fort.
• As part of a large palace, pavilions may be symmetrically placed buildingblocksthat flank (appear to join) a main building block or the outer ends of wings extending from both sides of a central building block, thecorps de logis.Such configurations provide an emphatic visual termination to the composition of a large building, akin tobookends.

A marble pavilion,Red Fort,Delhi

The word is fromFrenchpavillon(Old Frenchpaveillon) and it meant a small palace,fromLatinpapilionem(accusativeofpapilio). InLate Latinand Old French, it meant both ‘butterfly’ and ‘tent’, because the canvas of a tent resembled a butterfly's spread wings.

The word is from the early 13c.,paviloun,"large, stately tent raised on posts and used as a movable habitation," from Old Frenchpaveillon"large tent; butterfly" (12c.), from Latinpapilionem(nominativepapilio) "butterfly, moth," in Medieval Latin "tent" (see papillon); the type of tent was so called on its resemblance to wings. Meaning "open building in a park, etc., used for shelter or entertainment" is attested from 1680s. Sense of "small or moderate-sized building, isolated from but dependent on a larger or principal building" (as in a hospital) is by 1858.

Free-standing structures

Pavilion at the Botanical Garden of Hokkaido University

Pavilion in Huế, Vietnam

Pavilions may be small garden outbuildings, similar to asummer houseor akiosk;small rooms on the roof of a large house, reached only via the roof (rather than by internal stairs) may also be called pavilions. These were particularly popular up to the 18th century and can be equated to the Italiancasina,formerly rendered in English "casino". These often resembled smallclassical templesandfollies.Especially if there is some space for food preparation, they may be called abanqueting house.A pavilion built to take advantage of a view may be referred to as agazebo.Bandstandsin a park are a class of pavilion. Apoolhouseby aswimming poolmay have sufficient character and charm to be called a pavilion. By contrast, a free-standing pavilion can also be a far larger building such as theRoyal PavilionatBrighton,which is in fact a large Indian-style palace; however, like its smaller namesakes, the common factor is that it was built for pleasure and relaxation.

Asportspavilion is usually a building adjacent to a sports ground used for changing clothes and often partaking of refreshments. Often it has averandahto provide protection from the sun for spectators. Incricket grounds,as atLord's,acricket paviliontends to be used for the building the players emerge from and return to, even when this is actually a large building including agrandstand.A pavilion instadia,especially baseball parks, is a typically single-decked covered seating area (as opposed to the more expensive seating area of the main grandstand and the less expensive seating area of the uncoveredbleachers).

Classical architecture

Externally, pavilions may be emphasised by any combination of a change in height, profile (a flat facade may end in round pavilions, or flat ones that project out), colour, material, and ornament. Internally they may be part of a rectangular block, or only connected to the main block by athin sectionof building. The two 18th-centuryEnglish country housesofHoughton HallandHolkham Hallillustrate these different approaches in turn.

In thePlace des Vosges(1605–1612), Paris, twin pavilions mark thecentersof the north and south sides of the square. They are named thePavillon du Roi( “king’s pavilion” ) and thePavillon de la Reine( “queen’s pavilion” ), though no royal personage ever lived in the square. With their triple archways, they function like gatehouses that give access to the privileged space of the square. French gatehouses had been built in the form of such pavilions in the preceding century.

Other uses

In some areas, a pavilion is a term for ahunting lodge.ThePavillon de GaloninLuberon,France,is a typical 18th-century aristocratic hunting pavilion. The pavilion, located on the site of an old Roman villa, includes a gardenà la française,which was used by the guests for receptions.

Gallery

• 
  Küçüksu PavilioninIstanbul,Turkey
• 
  ThefrontageofHoughton Hallends in a pavilion on each side
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  Plan of the main part ofHolkham Hall,where, unlike Houghton, only a thin section connects the pavilions to the main block
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  Pavilions at each end of the facade of theUpper Belvedere,Vienna
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  The white marbledNaulakha Pavilionat theLahore Fort,Pakistan
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  Abanqueting houseatStudley Royal Park
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  Woodfarm Pavilion, Glasgow. An example of a more common pavilion in an urban area.
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  TheDianatempel(1613–1617), theHofgarten,Bavaria
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  Ahmad Shahi Pavilion,theNiavaran Palace Complex,Tehran(19th century)
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  The woodencricketpavilion atLeyton Cricket GroundinLondon(1886)
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  Abdur Rahman Khan's garden house inside the royalArg Palace,Kabul(19th century)
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  Rang Ghar,a sports-pavilion fromAssam,India, built duringAhom kingdom(mid 18th century).
• 
  ApoolhouseatEdgewaterinBarrytown, New York,United States (1998)
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  Abandstand(Musikpavillon) atBürkliplatzinZürich,Switzerland (1908)
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  Rigde pavilion inHeinola,Päijänne Tavastia,Finland
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  Island pavilion in theChinese Garden, Zürich(1993)
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  Picnic shelter,Yarramundi Reach,Canberra
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  A stone pavilion,Indian Springs State Park,Georgia
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  TheSophienlustPavilion atSchloss Burgkin theThuringian Highlands

See also

• Bandstand
• Chahartaq(Persian pavilion)
• Chinese pavilion
• Dance hall(dance pavilion)
• Dharamshala (type of building)
• Gazebo
• Mirror tent
• Monopteros
• Royal Pavilion,Brighton, England
• Sala Thai(Thai pavilion)

External links

• Media related toPavilionsat Wikimedia Commons