A canopy is a type of overhead
roof
A roof (: roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of tempera ...
or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide
shade or
shelter from weather conditions such as sun, hail, snow and rain. They are frequently found at
bus shelters and
train station
A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...
platforms. A canopy can also be a
tent
A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using g ...
, generally without a
floor
A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from wikt:hovel, simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the ex ...
.
The word comes from the
ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
''κωνώπειον'' (''konópeion'', "cover to keep insects off"), from ''κώνωψ'' (''kónops'', "cone-face"), which is a
bahuvrihi compound meaning "
mosquito
Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...
". The first 'o' changing into 'a' may be due to influence from the place name
Canopus, Egypt
Canopus ( , , ; , ), also known as Canobus (, ), was an ancient Egyptian coastal town, located in the Nile Delta. Its site is in the eastern outskirts of modern-day Alexandria, around from the center of that city. Canopus was located on the wes ...
thought of as a place of luxuries.
Architectural canopies include projections giving protection from the weather, or merely decoration. Such canopies are supported by the building to which they are attached and often also by a ground mounting provided by not less than two
stanchions, or upright support posts.
Canopies can also stand alone, such as a fabric covered
gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or Gun turret, turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden, or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands.
In British English, the word is also used for a tent-like can ...
or
cabana. Fabric canopies can meet various design needs. Many modern fabrics are long-lasting, bright, easily cleaned, strong and flame-retardant. This material can be vinyl, acrylic, polyester or canvas.
[Awning Fabrics Comparison: What's Right For You?]
Herculite, Retrieved July 14, 2016. Modern frame materials offer high strength-to-weight ratios and corrosion resistance. The proper combination of these properties can result in safe, strong, economical and attractive products.
Classification numbers
Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Division 10
MasterFormat 2004 Edition:
* 10 73 16 - Canopies
* 10 73 00 - Protective Covers
CSI
MasterFormat 1995 Edition:
* 10530 - Canopies
Solar canopies
Solar canopies are
solar arrays installed on canopies, which could be a parking lot canopy,
carport,
gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or Gun turret, turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden, or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands.
In British English, the word is also used for a tent-like can ...
,
Pergola, or
patio cover.
See also
*
Awning
*
Chuppah
A ''chuppah'' (, ) is a canopy under which a Judaism, Jewish couple stand during their Jewish wedding, wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held u ...
*
Dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
*
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or Gun turret, turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden, or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands.
In British English, the word is also used for a tent-like can ...
*
Onion dome
*
Pop up canopies
References
External links
* {{Commons category-inline, Canopies
Roofs