Rutland Architectural Blog - copperGazeboRoof

Monday, November 01, 2010

Cupola is typically a smaller structure mounted on top of a larger structure such as a roof. The roof may be virtually any shape and material. Cupola are frequently seen on top of homes, public buildings, businesses and pavilions. Cupolas may also be mounted on top of structures such as dome roofs, turrets, towers, steeples, spires and gazebos. A cupola is designed to admit light and air to the structure or building below and also provide architectural interest and elegance. Functional cupola louver vents are designed to promote air flow and provide ventilation to the roof or attic space below. Cupola has also been described in architectural terms as a small domed structure on top a building which provides light, ventilation and decoration.

cupola - custom copper cupola with copper roof finial cone - side view pictured

cupola - custom copper cupola with copper roof finial cone top view pictured here

Custom Copper Cupola - 4 Sided Roof Cupola w/ Copper Finial
copper cupola - custom roof cupola with copper finial cone pictured front view

roof cupola - custom copper cupola with roof finial copper cone pictured corner view

Cupolas are a very popular architectural enhancement on top of homes, gazebos, pavilions, barns, government or public buildings and businesses. Roof top cupolas may also be surrounded with a roof deck railing or widows walk for additional architectural interest. Cupolas are an attractive architectural feature wherever they are present. Cupolas also can provide substantial ventilation to the roof, attic or building space below. Cupolas may be built in various shapes including circular, square, hexagonal, octagonal or custom shapes. Cupolas typically are then topped with a domed, conical, bell-shaped or curved pyramidal, hexagonal or octagonal roof. The cupola roof is then often finished or crowned with an ornamental roof finial perched on top. Cupolas may be constructed from a variety of materials with wood and metals being the most common. Among metals, rust-free aluminum and copper are the most preferred materials. Aluminum is a light weight material and can be painted to coordinate with building wall or trim colors. Copper cupolas are typically not painted or coated, provide an elegant and distinguished appearance, will weather beautifully, are virtually maintenance-free, are a very green design, are very durable and are the longest lasting of all cupola construction materials. Any style of cupola will provide a pleasing attractive appearance and elegance to any building structure including a gazebo cupola for example, while cupola ventilation louvers provide excellent roof ventilation.

cupola hexagonal aluminum roof cupola with horse weathervane finial pictured roof cupola hexagonal aluminum cupola with horse weather vane pictured here
Cupola Hexagonal Aluminum w/ Horse Weathervane

Cupola designs on this page were custom manufactured by the architectural metal and copper work craftsmen at Rutland. Rutland will custom craft a cupola out of copper or aluminum in any size to your own design specifications. Cupolas can be fabricated for installation on any roof pitch and with different base shapes. Copper cupolas are made from pure heavyweight copper and have TIG welded frame. The polished, welded seams provide strength, durability and a refined appearance. Aluminum cupolas may be constructed entirely of aluminum or optionally have a copper roof. Aluminum cupolas are available in mill finish aluminum (unfinished) or optionally may be custom painted in a wide variety of colors, including two-tone. Other cupola options include louver vents for ventilation on the sides and a wide variety of decorative finials or weather vanes mounted on top. Cupolas can be shipped or delivered anywhere in North America. More custom cupola designs and standard cupola designs including 4-sided, hexagonal and octagonal may be seen at Rutland Cupolas with architectural CAD drawings also available for viewing.

11/1/2010 4:37 PM Eastern Standard Time

Disclaimer | | Trackback

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Finials

A finial can be thought of as an architectural finial, which simply is a decorative or ornamental architectural piece usually mounted at the apex or very top of any architectural structure. Finials can also denote the decorative ornaments, knobs, balls, terminations or tops to posts, poles, rods, furniture or lamps. In typography, finials are the curves terminating type font strokes. This blog concentrates on architectural finials which may be placed on top of a roof, gable, tower, turret, pinnacle, steeple, spire, arch, dome, gazebo, canopy, cupola, chimney cap, wall, garden structure or other architectural device. Finials are used decoratively to emphasize the apex, peak, ends or corners of these architectural structures. Finials also provide heightened architectural interest, flourish, elegance, majesty and provide the crowning touch to distinctive architectural structures, fine homes and distinguished buildings.

finial with large copper pyramid finial base, large finial ball and finial cone shown here

Copper Finials - Outdoor Roof - Garden Finials

Finials are usually thought of as the ornament or decorative piece mounted at the very tip of related architectural structures which are all taller than wider, such as pinnacles, turrets, spires, steeples and towers. These various architectural structures are somewhat similar or related, primarily differing in size, scale, location, shape or historical context. Often one of these structures is placed on top of another and the transition between them may either be obvious or be fairly seamless. Finials mounted at the very peak of these structures have historically been a cross, star, ball, spear, cone, needle or may have been something more elaborate or ornate. Tall finials fitted with an extension and insulated may also be utilized as a lightning rod. Architectural devices such as finials have sometimes been scaled up in size to where some finials start to resemble and perhaps becomes a small spire or pinnacle.

copper finial spear octagonal finial base and finial cone pictured here

finial aluminum with pyramidal base - hexagonal thick cone - finial ball and needle pictured

copper finial with conical finial base, two copper finial balls, scroll designs,and solid copper spear on top pictured

Octagonal Finial Spear - - Hexagonal Finial Ball Aluminum - - Scrolled Copper Finial

Pinnacles are simply defined as small decorative turrets or spires historically located at corners of a roof, parapet, buttress, tower, pier, gable or elsewhere. Pinnacles are largely an ornamental structure, usually round in shape like most turrets or else tapering like a spire and are terminated at their peak by a pyramid, small spire or finial. Pinnacle is also described as an architectural ornament forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret and used on parapets at the corners of towers and other locations. Pinnacles while decorative also help promote the loftiness or towering majesty of a building structure.

copper finial with octagonal faceted finial base, finial ball, and sharp copper finial cone pictured

finial copper with large finial ball, arabesque scroll design, finial cone and smaller finial ball on top pictured

copper finial with pyramidal faceted finial base, finial ball, and sharp copper finial cone pictured

Finials - Octagonal - Pyramidal Base with Finial Balls - Finial Cones

Spires are simply any slender, pointed architectural structures on top of buildings or other structures such as towers. Spires can be conical, pyramidal and octagonal in shape terminating in a point or else have a decorative finial perched on top. Many centuries ago, spires originally were a simple, four sided, squat, pyramid shaped roof capping on top of church towers. Spires evolved towards ever slimmer and much taller forms with a more organic connection to the tower below. Early spires had crockets or steps at their edges for ease of maintenance by steeplejacks. The word spire is derived from the Anglo Saxon word for spear. In fact many modern spires can be even more pronounced spear or needle shaped than their pointy predecessors. Spires may convey several symbolic attributes. Pointing at the heavens, they can have a celestial or religious connotation which is why they were popular on top of cathedrals and churches. Spires provided a spectacular visual culmination to churches while being a symbol of heavenly aspiration. Spires also connote the religious order's or building patron's wealth and prestige. A spire's spear shape can also be symbolic of martial power, might and strength or in public buildings of civil power and hope. Reaching to the skies, spires can also be symbolic of aerospace, outer space and the future. Modern spires include the Space Needle in Seattle and the extremely tall spires located on the tallest buildings or skyscrapers in the world. The planned Freedom Tower in New York will be topped with a spire. Spires are never out of fashion and continue to be used in modern architecture. At the very top of spires you often will find a decorative or ornamental finial. Modern day finials have taken on many forms or shapes with unlimited designs and the pointy, spear shaped finial designs are reminiscent of spires. Some pointy finials have increased in size and scale and are perhaps considered smaller spires and called spires by some.

copper finial with tall, square tapering base with steps, copper ball and square finial cone on top pictured

pineapple finial - pure copper finial pineapple with sculpted pineapple sides, green patina pineapple leaves and round finial base pictured here

copper finial with octagonal tapering and faceted finial base, copper finial ball, and sharp copper finial cone pictured here

Finial Square Tapered - - Pineapple Finial Copper - - Octagonal Finial

Steeples are tall mostly ornamental towers usually topped with a spire and finial. Steeples usually comprise a series of stories, each typically diminishing in size and topped off by a small pyramidal roof, cupola or oftentimes a spire. Steeples are very common in Christian churches and the use of the term typically connotes a religious structure or church steeple. Steeples may be free standing towers or else are incorporated structurally into the entrance or center of a building, such as a church or temple. Steeples usually taper towards a point at the top, are surmounted or topped by a spire, or are themselves simply a large spire. Steeple design was possibly originally influenced by obelisks and pillars dating back to ancient Egyptian architecture. Obelisks are simply four sided tapering towers or pillars ending in a pointed or pyramidal top. Obelisks were historically monolithic, meaning carved out of a single stone and were used as monuments placed at the entrance to temples.

Norwich Cathedral with tower, turrets, pinnacles, spires and finials is pictured here

Belgium Cathedral with large spire, pinnacles, spires, finials and prominent weathervane is pictured here

Cathedrals with Turrets, Spires, Pinnacles and Finials
(photos courtesy Aleister Crowley and Georges Jansoone - CC by SA)

Turrets are simply small attached towers or tower shaped projections from a building. Typically most turrets are round with a conical or other pointed roof though sometimes a domed roof. Some turrets are square or octagonal in shape. Turrets are usually topped with a pinnacle, spire or decorative finial. Turrets are always smaller structures attached to the edge of a building compared to towers which are larger and invariably start from the ground. Turrets can extend out from the sides or corners of a building via corbels or extend up from the roof top effectively adding another story. Rounded turrets also provide contrast to angled lines of a building.

Assorted Turrets - Copper Finials - Conical Octagonal Copper Roof

Towers are slender buildings characterized by great height, always much taller than their width or length. Often very tall towers taper from story to story towards their top and often terminate in a pyramidal roof or pointed spire, usually octagonal or conical. Many church towers and public building towers were designed to incorporate a spire. Towers symbolize prestige, supreme power, authority, majesty and might, similar to what steeples and spires convey.

roof finials installed on top of this distinctive fine home on each roof peak pictured here

copper dome with hemispherical dome shape has weathered copper panels and a copper finial, shown installed here at a Caribbean resort

copper dome with pyramidal dome shape made from custom copper roof tile, has a copper finial mounted on top, shown here installed at Caribbean resort

Roof Top Finials - Copper Domes with Copper Finials (weathered)

Modern day finials come in all shapes, designs and sizes to enhance any style of current architecture. Finials add a decorative, crowning touch to most any architectural structure including roof peaks, domes, turrets, towers, steeples, spires, chimney caps, cupolas, gazebos, canopies, landscaping - garden walls and posts. View 50 different finial designs including weathervanes, pineapple finials and ornate finials at Rutland's Copper Finials webpage. Rutland also provides CAD design drawings and specifications for all of their standard finials, located on each individual finial model's webpage. Rutland finials come in many different sizes; many of Rutland's larger finials are 3 to 6 feet in height and still larger finials and spires may be constructed. Rutland's architectural copper work and metal fabrication craftsmen will fabricate any of Rutland's standard finial designs in a number of different sizes, different base shapes and will also custom manufacture finials and spires to your own architectural design and exact specifications.

copper cupola with hexagonal louvered sides, hexagonal copper cupola roof and copper weathervane rooster finial mounted on top pictured here

cupola with hexagonal aluminum sides, hexagonal cupola roof, copper weathervane horse finial on top shown here installed on the roof peak of a home

cupola with octagonal aluminum sides, tapered octagonal copper cupola roof, finial ball and finial cone on top pictured

Cupolas with WeatherVane Finials and Copper Ball Finial

finial base layout sketches shown here for custom roof finial mounting options

Finial Assorted Base Shapes (may be specified for any Rutland Finial Design)
copper chimney cap with copper lattice work sides, domed copper top, finial ball and sharp finial cone on top pictured here

copper chimney cap with copper lattice work sides, domed copper top, finial ball and sharp finial cone on top pictured here

copper chimney cap with majestic arched legs, copper dome top with copper finial spear on top pictured

Chimney Caps with Copper Finials

Copper Finial Video on YouTube

8/3/2010 3:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Disclaimer | | Trackback

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Copper Gazebo Roof

Gazebos are an outdoor pavilion or tent like structure which are usually round, square or octagonal in shape. A gazebo is a familiar sight, found just about anywhere, in parks, gardens, back yards, on a lake or seashore, outdoor restaurants, etc. Gazebos are usually roofed but open on the sides, sometimes with railings or balustrades and sometimes screened in. The gazebo floor might be grass, stone, concrete, brick or raised wood deck. The gazebo's base or deck and the optional railing usually follow along the bottom outline of the gazebo roof (round - square - octagonal - etc). A gazebo is oftentimes free standing in an open area or can be attached to another building or connected by decorative wall or path. Gazebos are popular spots, especially in warm weather, to rest, entertain, eat, relax and socialize. A gazebo provides shelter, shade and often seating and tables. Gazebos are unusually appealing structures and provide a most attractive and ornamental feature to a property's architecture and landscaping. The most common gazebo is built out of wood with ordinary roofing shingles used on the roof. A simple metal or copper roof cap with finial might be found on top. A gazebo upgrade might involve a small cupola perched on top of the gazebo roof, once again with a roof finial crowning the very top. The ultimate gazebo roof is a copper roof made from copper tile or copper panels. A copper gazebo roof may be conical in shape, bell shaped, octagonal, pentagonal, pyramidal, domed or any number of different shapes.

Copper Gazebo Roof - Bell Shaped - Bermuda Style

copper gazebo roof conical shape with copper roof cap and copper finial pictured

Copper Gazebo Tile Roof with Copper Roof Cap and Finial
copper roof tile diamond shaped handmade copper tile shown here

Copper Roof Tile - Alternative Diamond Shaped

A copper roof cupola can be positioned on top of a gazebo providing additional architectural interest and can functionally help vent hot air out the top. A simple, rustic or ornate copper roof finial can crown the very top of the gazebo or cupola. Copper clad columns, copper fixtures and copper railing or balustrade provide additional sheer elegance to a copper gazebo. To make a copper gazebo even more inviting on cool evenings, a copper fire pit with or without copper vent hood would coordinate nicely. A copper gazebo roof, copper cupola, copper finial, copper balustrade (or copper railing) not only have divine aesthetics and AWESOME looks but will last a LIFETIME.

copper roof cupola with weathervane and copper deck railing for gazebo pictured here

Copper Cupola with WeatherVane and Copper Railing

* Photos above courtesy Rutland Architectural Copper Work, whose copper artisans created the copper gazebo roofs, copper cupola, copper finials and copper deck railing shown above. Even the copper tile shown above is custom handmade and hand cut copper roof tile. See additional pictures at Copper Dome - Copper Turret - Copper Gazebo Roof.