Architecture

Discover the world of architecture, inside out.

Upgrade to Britannica Online

Take a tour, New improved britannica online

Imagine Britannica's 32-volume encyclopedia online right there for you, plus full access to articles. Amazing content, written by world experts, that you can cite for projects and assignments.

Click here for Britannica shop

oculus

(Latin: “eye”) In architecture, any of several elements resembling an eye, such as a round or oval window or the round opening at the top of some domes (see Pantheon). The capital of an Ionic column features an oculus in the form of a disk at the centre of each of its spiral scrolls.

Find more information on oculus. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on oculus.

  • Get more

  • M?ss?ng more?

    Subscribers see 10 times more content. Just US $69.95 per year

  • Britannica, just as colourful as Hong Kong
  • Times may change, but insightful knowledge is still in demand. That's why Britannica brings a world of knowledge online, to Hong Kong. Have a look for yourself.