Architraves

Architrave is a term in architecture used to describe the main horizontal beam spanning the tops of columns or the decorative moulding around a doorway. The word derives from a Greek term meaning “chief beam.” In classical architecture, the architrave is the lowest element of the entablature, resting directly on the capitals of columns and supporting the frieze and cornice. It can be a simple, unadorned band in the Doric order or a more elaborate, multi-section moulding in Ionic and Corinthian orders. The architrave is typically part of the three-part entablature—architrave, frieze, and cornice—though profiles vary by period and style.

Beside its structural role, the architrave also appears in door and window surrounds, where the term describes the moulded frame around the opening. In this context it may include jambs and a head, and is often called a door architrave or architrave trim. In historic carpentry, the architrave serves as a finished surround that frames the opening and conceals joint work.

Materials used for architraves range from carved stone and marble in monumental architecture to wood and plaster in domestic and decorative work. After classical times, architraves continued to be used and were adapted in Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical architecture with varying degrees of ornament. In modern architecture, the term can denote a simplified framing profile around openings, retaining the concept of a horizontal frame that unites the vertical elements.