Bracket

Example of bracket use in architecture, Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright project

Bracket - an architectural element performing a supporting function. Its task is to keep the element protruding in front of the face of the wall inside (eg rib of the vault, statue, window sill, etc.) or outside (balcony, bay window, platform) of the building.

Brackets were made of brick or stone, often also made of wood. They were usually richly decorated and profiled. Currently, the brackets are made of steel or reinforced concrete, and as decorative elements (eg in stucco) - from polystyrene. Due to the large architectural and artistic possibilities, the most characteristic are the Romanesque and Gothic brackets (konsola, kroksztyn, modylion).

Dougong is a specific type of bracket, typical of Far Eastern architecture.

Brackets are also used outside of architecture, in mechanical constructions - in machines, devices, vehicles, etc. They are then made mainly of metals (by pressing or casting) and of plastics (by injection or casting methods). They have a similar task everywhere, and a similar look as in architectural applications. Bibliography

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