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APOPHYGE (APO'PHYGE) n.s.[ flight, or escape.]Is, in…

“APOPHYGE (APO'PHYGE) n.s.[ flight, or escape.]Is, in architecture, that part of a column, where it begins to spring out of its base; and was originally no more than the ring or ferrel, which anciently bound the extremities of wooden pillars, to keep them from splitting, and were afterward imitated…” quote by Samuel Johnson
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““APOPHYGE  (APO'PHYGE)   n.s.[  flight, or escape.]Is, in architecture, that part of a column, where it begins to spring out of its base; and was originally no more than the ring or ferrel, which anciently bound the extremities of wooden pillars, to keep them from splitting, and were afterward imitated in stone work. We sometimes call it the spring of the column.Chambers.””

Samuel Johnson

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

In architecture, the apophysis is the column’s springing part, originally a wooden ring preventing splits, later imitated in stone.

In simple terms: Apophysis is a column’s early outward flare.

Key Takeaway

Recognize functional origins in design details.

Themes

architecture history structure

Mood

educational technical

Type

historical technical

When to use this quote

  • building restoration
  • structural analysis
  • design education

Key Concepts

engineering material science

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do we retain historic terms?
  • How does this shape contemporary design?
A Different Perspective

Modern materials may not need such features.

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