A lesene, also called a pilaster strip, is an architectural term for a narrow,

low-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

vertical pillar on a wall. It resembles a

pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

, but does not have a base or

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

. It is typical in Lombardic and Rijnlandish architectural building styles.

Function

Lesenes are used in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

to vertically divide a

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

or other wall surface optically. However, unlike pilasters, lesenes are simpler, having no bases or capitals. Their function is ornamental, not just to decorate the plain surface of a wall but, in the case of corner lesenes (at the edges of a façade), to emphasise the edges of a building.

Gallery

File:Lisene2.jpg, Lesenes and

Lombard band A Lombard band is a decorative blind arcade, usually located on the exterior of building. It was frequently used during the Romanesque and Gothic periods of Western architecture. It resembles a frieze of arches. Lombard bands are believed to ...

(arches) on a chapel File:Lisene-Ravenna.jpg, Lesenes forming

blind arcade Blind often refers to: * The state of blindness, being unable to see * A window blind, a covering for a window Blind may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Blind'' (1987 film), a documentary by Frederick Wiseman about t ...

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a Late Antique Roman building in Ravenna, Italy, built between 425 and 450. It was added to the World Heritage List together with seven other structures in Ravenna in 1996. Despite its common name, the empress Ga ...

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

();

dentil A dentil (from Lat. ''dens'', a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice. Dentils are found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and also in later styles such as Neoclassical, Federal, Georgian Rev ...

s under the eaves. File:Gernrode-Lisene.jpg, Lesene on the staircase tower, Gernrode collegiate church (pre-1000) File:Maria Laach.jpg, Lesenes on the

Maria Laach Abbey Maria Laach Abbey (in German: ''Abtei Maria Laach'', in Latin: ''Abbatia Maria Lacensis'' or ''Abbatia Maria ad Lacum'') is a Benedictine abbey situated in Glees, on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See (Lake Laach), in the Eifel regio ...

(1156) File:Saxon tower - geograph.org.uk - 570499.jpg, Lesenes on the tower of All Saints' Church, Earls Barton (late 10th century) File:Smithsons photo Robin hood gardens London UK 2005-07-21.jpg, Robin Hood Gardens, London: lesene-shaped formation on the supporting wall in the

Plattenbau A large-panel-system building is a building constructed of large, prefabricated concrete slabs. Such buildings are often found in housing developments. Although large-panel-system buildings are often considered to be typical of Eastern Bloc c ...

style File:Hamburg.Chilehaus.Fassade.standard.wmt.jpg, Lesenes at Chile House, Hamburg File:2022-12-29 St. Ludgerus 04.jpg, Lesenes on the Ludgerus Church in Bottrop, North Rhine-Westphalia

References

{{Authority control Architectural elements