Pseudoperipteral

The Maison Carrée at Nîmes, a hexastyle pseudoperipteral Roman temple.

In architecture, a pseudoperipteral temple is one with free standing columns in the front (colonnaded portico) whereas the columns along the sides are engaged in the peripheral walls of the naos or cella. The ancient Romans favoured pseudoperipteral temples, typically with a portico in front and engaged columns along the other three sides of the cella.

The temple of Olympian Zeus at Agrigento was a famous Greek example of this style where also the facade was presenting itself with engaged columns.

A pseudoperipteral building with a portico at each end is called amphiprostyle. Examples of this style include the small Temple of Athena Nike and Temple of Venus and Roma.

Pseudoperipteral buildings appear similar to peripteral buildings with free-standing columns surrounding the cella as a peristyle.

See also

• Ancient Greek temple
• Ancient Roman temple

Sources

• Pseudoperipteral, Merriam-Webster
• Ten Books on Architecture by Vitruvius Pollio