
atrium
- (Architecture) the open main court of a Roman house
- (Architecture) a central often glass-roofed hall that extends through several storeys in a building, such as a shopping centre or hotel
- (Architecture) a court in front of an early Christian or medieval church, esp one flanked by colonnades
What is an atrium in a house?
atrium
- (Architecture) the open main court of a Roman house
- (Architecture) a central often glass-roofed hall that extends through several storeys in a building, such as a shopping centre or hotel
- (Architecture) a court in front of an early Christian or medieval church, esp one flanked by colonnades
How to decorate an atrium?
How To Decorate An Atrium Island Style! | Made In A Day top madeinaday.com. Remove all of the plants and weeds from the existing atrium. Use a rake to smooth the ground. Place weed barrier paper down over the area. Hang the sun garden wall art and place the metal wall divider (now plant holder) inside the space.
What is an atrium style house?
Don’t Limit Yourself to an Atrium
- A conservatory is a glassed-in room, often with a glass roof as well. ...
- A skylight is basically a window that is placed on the roof of a building or house. ...
- In modern plans, the clerestory window is a popular and practical choice. ...
What is the main role of the atrium?
What is the main function of the atrium? The atria are the 'receiving chambers' for blood to flow through the heart, taking in blood from either the body or the lungs. The atrium is smaller than its counterpart, the ventricle , because it pumps the blood a shorter distance.

Where is the atrium in a house?
Atriums are open-air or skylight-covered spaces surrounded by a building. An atrium is similar to a courtyard except that atriums introduce an outdoor element to what's perceived as the interior of a building.
Is an atrium a living room?
In case of the atrium though, you can bring the relaxing outdoor hangout inside and it becomes a part of the living room, dining area or even the kitchen. Of course, not all atriums are the same. But even in the smallest one, there is space for a couple of chairs and a modest coffee table!
What is considered an atrium?
An atrium is considered “an opening connecting two or more stories other than enclosed stairways, elevators, hoistways, escalators, plumbing, electrical, air-conditioning or other equipment, which is closed at the top and not defined as a mall.” This section permits large unprotected vertical openings through floors ...
What is difference between courtyard and atrium?
Definitions: An atrium is an enclosed or "public use" space and is covered by a roof. A courtyard is an unenclosed space. Courtyards possess an "outdoor" or exterior character and are not covered by roofs.
What do you do with an indoor atrium?
0:021:11Indoor Atrium Located Near the Center in This House - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSome of you have never seen an indoor atrium this is an area where you can put plants. And as youMoreSome of you have never seen an indoor atrium this is an area where you can put plants. And as you can see they got one sliding glass door and another large fixed piece of glass.
What kind of room is an atrium?
An atrium is a large, open-aired room often located at the central point of a building. The earliest atriums were built in ancient Rome and featured a hearth or fire to warmly welcome guests into a home. The central opening in the atrium roof provided ventilation by allowing smoke to escape from the structure.
What do you call an open space inside a house?
An architectural atrium is an open-air or sky-lit court space. Today, they are found in modern and contemporary buildings and homes. In an open-air atrium, the space is surrounded by walls or columns with multiple entrances into the main building or home.
What is a room without ceiling called?
In architecture, an atrium (plural: atria or atriums) is a large open-air or skylight-covered space surrounded by a building.
What is an interior courtyard called?
cortile. (Architecture) An internal courtyard. 7.
What is an outdoor atrium called?
Residential courtyards and atriums are open-air or roofless spaces similar to patios. Traditionally, atriums are surrounded by at least three walls and are situated in the center of a house. A courtyard can also be surrounded by walls or buildings but is positioned in the center or at the entrance of a home.
What is another word for atrium?
What is another word for atrium?halllobbyentryentrywayentrancewayhallwayantechamberdoorwayanteroomportico55 more rows
What is a small atrium called?
Atrium and auricle are two structural components of the heart. The main difference between atrium and auricle is that atrium is a compartment of the heart whereas auricle is a small out-pouching of the atrium.
What is an atrium?
An atrium is an open-roofed part of a building, though now it more commonly has a glass roof. Although the atrium has evolved throughout the centuries, the basic design has remained the same. The word atrium (also called 'cavaedium') is Latin and refers to an open central court. Just as the left and right atria in our heart are central chambers, ...
What is an atrium in medieval times?
In Medieval Times, the atrium was an open courtyard at the entrance that usually had covered aisles on the sides. They were often found in churches and palaces. In modern buildings they are entry rooms with a translucent roof that allows a connection between the outdoor sky and the indoor space.
What are the different types of atria?
There are 5 types of atria in architecture that came about because of the need to collect rainwater and because different architects had different ideas about how to do that while providing a solid support for the roof. The five types are: 1 Tuscan - this common style had only ceiling beams to support the roof (no columns) with a downward sloping roof (in a sort of 'V' shape) to gather more rain 2 Displuviate - this style had a roof that sloped outward (like a sort of 'A' shape) to detract most of the rain 3 Tetrastyle - this style had four columns in a square supporting the beams making up the hole in the roof 4 Corinthian - this style had many columns supporting the roof, like a peristyle porch 5 Testudinate - this style actually didn't have a hole, it was roofed over and relied on windows for light instead.
Why is the atrium important?
It can originally be traced back to ancient Roman times when it was introduced as a way to increase ventilation and the amount of natural light indoors. It also allowed rainwater to be collected indoors.
Why is the atrium important to Roman architecture?
The atrium was the centerpiece of the home in ancient Roman architecture and is still used today to allow natural light in and connects the protected inside space to the outdoor environment, adding natural beauty to the space.
What is the modern day atrium?
The modern day atrium, as developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, added a glazed roof which meant that there was no opening and it was no longer a way to collect rainwater or improve ventilation.
How many types of atria are there?
The Five Types of Atria in Architecture. There are 5 types of atria in architecture that came about because of the need to collect rainwater and because different architects had different ideas about how to do that while providing a solid support for the roof. The five types are:
What is the atrium in a modern home?
Described as the original “sunroom,” an atrium is an open-air part of a building that provides a lot of light and ventilation into the home and connects the indoors to the outdoors. In its earliest forms, the atrium’s open roof also facilitated the collection and storage of rainwater in a pool.
What is an atrium roof?
In its earliest forms, the atrium’s open roof also facilitated the collection and storage of rainwater in a pool. In both residential and commercial architecture, an atrium is surrounded by walls or columns with multiple entrances into the main building or home.
What is the atrium in the Pantheon?
This spectacular atrium inside the Pantheon is a show-stopping artifact of ancient Rome (Photo by Christopher Czermak on Unsplash ). During Medieval times, the atrium was an open courtyard at the entrance of basilicas and palaces. That atrium version usually had covered aisles on the sides.
What is a sunroom?
A sunroom or conservatory is a light-filled, restful space in the home where one can grow plants, enjoy nature, entertain, or just relax. Sometimes, conservatories have glass roofs in addition to glass walls ( Plan #165-1077 ). • A skylight is basically a window that is placed on the roof of a building or house.
What was the purpose of the atrium in ancient Rome?
It was the focal point – the main entertaining space as well as a way to allow light and air into the other rooms. In a time without electricity, the atrium provided much-needed light and ventilation to the area.
What to consider when planting an atrium garden?
As you plant your atrium garden, here are a few tips to consider. 1. In decorating, “less is more.”. The atrium is a dramatic source of natural light and does not need too much in the way of accent touches. 2. The home’s style should dictate the type of décor.
What plants can be planted in an atrium?
Choose shrubs and greenery native to the area and adaptable to the conditions and lighting in the atrium. Norfolk pine, bamboo, and small palm trees, as well as Japanese maple, with its red leaves, and angel’s trumpet, with its large white, yellow, or pink blooms, can easily thrive in an indoor atrium. 4.
What is an atrium?
Definition of atrium. 1 : the central room of a Roman house. 2 plural usually atriums. a : a rectangular open patio around which a house is built. b : a many-storied court in a building (such as a hotel) usually with a skylight. 3 [New Latin, from Latin] : an anatomical cavity or passage especially : the chamber or either of the chambers ...
What is the Roman atrium?
In an ancient Roman house, an atrium was an open central court that contained the impluvium, a basin where rainwater collected. It originally contained the hearth and functioned as the center of family life. The term later came to be used for the open front courtyard of a Christian basilica, where congregants collected before services.
When was the atrium revived?
The atrium was revived in the 20th century in the form of glass-covered, greenery-filled multistory spaces sometimes found in shopping centers, office buildings, and large hotels.
What is an Atrium in Architecture?
What is an atrium? An atrium in architecture is defined as a large, open-aired room often located at the central point of a building. Though most atriums do not have a roof, some are constructed using glass roofs or skylights. Atriums or atria can be thought of as the original sunrooms, acting at first as a court to welcome guests in ancient times.
The Roman Open-Air Atrium
The use of atriums in architecture first became popular in ancient Rome. Roman atriums were intended to allow light and ventilation into a room while also acting as a water collection and drainage method.
The Nineteenth Century Glass-Roofed Atrium
Some of the largest advancements in atrium room design took place in the nineteenth century. The development of glass and steel allowed architecture to be designed with more supportive components, meaning new building features could be utilized.
Why is the atrium of a house built?
The atrium was made in order to compensate for a lack of sunlight in the home.
What is an outdoor atrium?
The outdoor atrium of Family House Litvínovice is a completely private space that's well-suited for the installation of a hammock, outdoor bath, or shower. A11 designed the home to be an exploration of minimalism and privacy from the outside world.
What is an Eichler home?
In Orange, California, a 1964 Model OC584 Eichler home designed by architect Claude Oakland was recently updated as a four-bedroom, two-bath home with an expanded master bathroom. The central outdoor atrium to the home is typical of the open-plan, indoor-outdoor style of living that Eichler homes are known form.
Where are atriums found?
Descended from ancient Roman homes, the atrium can typically be found in large-scale public spaces like office buildings, hotel lobbies, and even some large apartment buildings. On a smaller scale, atriums—central, skylit spaces—are a literal breath of fresh air in modern homes, bringing light and nature indoors.
Where is the Agra atrium?
A double-height entrance atrium welcomes visitors into this multi-generational family home in Agra, India, in a project designed by the New Delhi design firm of flyYingseeds Studio. The different parts of the existing home were reshuffled, bringing together a large family.
What materials were used in the Eichler home?
Materials original to classic Eichler homes such as interior wood paneling, aluminum sliding doors, glass walls, and VCT flooring were restored, and other original spaces like an open atrium were maintain ed.

Overview
Ancient atria
In a domus, a large house in ancient Roman architecture, the atrium was the open central court with enclosed rooms on all sides. In the middle of the atrium was the impluvium, a shallow pool sunken into the floor to catch rainwater from the roof. Some surviving examples are beautifully decorated. The opening in the ceiling above the pool (compluvium) called for some means of support for the …
19th century: Glazed atrium
The 19th century brought the industrial revolution with great advances in iron and glass manufacturing techniques. Courtyards could then have horizontal glazing overhead, eliminating some of the weather elements from the space and giving birth to the modern atrium.
• Victoria Hall in Halifax Town Hall, 1863
• Atrium at the center of the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles
Modern-day atria
Fire control is an important aspect of contemporary atrium design due to criticism that poorly designed atria could allow fire to spread to a building's upper stories more quickly. Another downside to incorporating an atrium is that it typically creates unused vertical space which could otherwise be occupied by additional floors.
One of the main public spaces at Federation Square, in Melbourne, Australia, is called The Atrium a…
See also
• Cavaedium
• Quadrangle
• Panopticon
Further reading
• Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements History and Meaning. Oxford, UK: Westview Press. p. 520. ISBN 0-06-430158-3.
How to Embrace Nature in Your New Dream Home
The Atrium Style’s Backstory
- In ancient Rome, the atrium was both a decorative and functional feature of the home. It was the focal point – the main entertaining space as well as a way to allow light and air into the other rooms. In a time without electricity, the atrium provided much-needed light and ventilation to the area. During Medieval times, the atrium was an open court...
Beginnings of The Atrium in The U.S.
- Fast forward to modern times and the atrium in the U.S. If Frank Lloyd Wright is credited with adapting clerestory windows into American architecture, another big name in the field – Joseph Eicher, a developer, not an architect – takes the honors for introducing the atrium to Midcentury Modern home designsand a wider segment of the residential market. Interestingly enough, it wa…
The Atrium Style Today
- Although it is centuries-old, the atrium’s concept and design remain basically the same today. Starting with its resurgence in United States in the 1900s, the atrium is now frequently found in modern style homes as well as contemporary Ranch and Country style home plans – and of course, commercial spaces. The old is “new” again with the atrium style. After all, who can argu…