Avestibule (alsoanteroom,antechamber,air-lock entry orfoyer) is a small room leading into a larger space[1] such as alobby, entrancehall, orpassage, for the purpose of waiting, withholding the larger space from view, reducing heat loss, providing storage space for outdoor clothing, etc. The term applies to structures in bothmodern andclassical architecture since ancient times.
In antiquity, antechambers were employed as transitional spaces leading to more significant rooms, such asthrone rooms in palaces or thenaos in temples.[2] Inancient Roman architecture, a vestibule (Latin:vestibulum) was a partially enclosed area between the interior of the house and the street.
In modern architecture, a vestibule is typically a small room next to the outer door and connecting it with the interior of the building.
Vestibules were common inancient Greek temples. Due to the construction techniques available at the time, it was not possible to build large spans. Consequently, many entranceways had two rows of columns that supported the roof and created a distinct space around the entrance.[3]
In ancient Greek houses, theprothyrum was the space just outside the door of a house, which often had an altar toApollo or a statue, or a laurel tree.[4]
In elaborate houses or palaces, the vestibule could be divided into three parts, theprothyron (πρόθυρον), thethyroreion (θυρωρεῖον;lit. 'porter's lodge'), and theproaulion (προαύλιον).[5]
The vestibule in ancient Greek homes served as a barrier to the outside world, and also added security to discourage unwanted entrance into the home and unwanted glances into the home. The vestibule's alignment at right angles of private interior spaces, and the use of doors and curtains also added security and privacy from the outside. TheClassical Period marked a change in the need for privacy in Greek society, which ultimately led to the design and use of vestibules in Greek homes.[6]
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Inancient Roman architecture, where the term originates, a vestibule (Latin:vestibulum) was a space that was sometimes present between the interiorfauces of a building leading to theatrium and the street.[4] Vestibules were common in ancient architecture. A Roman house was typically divided into two different sections: the first front section, or the public part, was introduced with a vestibule. These vestibules contained two rooms, which usually served as waiting rooms or a porters’ lodge where visitors could get directions or information.[7] Upon entering a Roman house ordomus, one would have to pass through the vestibule before entering thefauces, which led to the atrium.[8]
The structure was a mixture between a modernhall andporch.
From the 5th century onward,churches ofEastern andWestern Christianity utilized vestibules.[9]
In Roman Catholic and some Anglican churches[citation needed], the vestibule is usually a spacious area which holds church information such as literature, pamphlets, and bulletin announcements, as well as holy water for worshippers.[10] InOrthodox andByzantine church architecture, the temple antechamber is more commonly referred to as anexonarthex.
In early Christian architecture, the vestibule replaced the more extravagantatrium orquadriporticus in favor of a more simplified area to house the vase of holy water.[7]
Vestibules are common in palace architecture. The style of vestibule used inGenoa, Italy, was transformed from a previously modest design to a more ornamental structure, which satisfied Genoese aristocracy, while becoming an influential transformation for Italian palaces. The Genoese vestibule became a prominent feature of their palace architecture. These vestibules would sometimes include a fountain or large statue. The Genoese vestibule was large and exaggerated, and seemed "rather designed to accommodate a race of giants".[7]
In contemporary usage, a vestibule constitutes an area surrounding the exterior door. It acts as an antechamber between the exterior and the interior structure. Often it connects the doorway to a lobby orhallway. It is the space one occupies once passing the door, but not yet in the main interior of the building.
Although vestibules such as a modifiedmud room are common in private residences, they are especially prevalent in more opulent buildings, such as government ones, designed to elicit a sense of grandeur by contrasting the vestibule's small space with the following greater one, and by adding the aspect of anticipation. The residence of theWhite House in the United States is such an example. At the northportico, it contains a tiny vestibule[11] between the doors flushed with the outer and inner faces of the exterior wall of, and in the past inside, theEntrance Hall (called incorrectlyVestibule) separated from the not much biggerCross Hall by just 2 double columns. The difference in sizes between a vestibule and the following space is better illustrated by the—so called—entrance (15) to the main gallery in theSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum byFrank Lloyd Wright. Many government buildings mimic theclassical architecture from which the vestibule originates.
A purely utilitarian use of vestibules in modern buildings is to create anairlock entry. Such vestibules consist of a set of inner doors and a set of outer doors, the intent being to reduce air infiltration to the building by having only one set of doors open at any given time.
AnATM vestibule is an enclosed area withautomated teller machines that is attached to the outside of a building, but typically features no further entrance to the building and is not accessible from within. There may be a secure entrance to the vestibule which requires a card to open.[12]
ATM vestibules may also contain security devices, such as panic alarms andCCTV, to help prevent criminal activity.
Thevestibule on arailway passenger car is an enclosed area at the end of the car body, usually separated from the main part of the interior by a door, which is power-operated on most modern equipment. Entrance to and exit from the car is through the side doors, which lead into the vestibule. Whenpassenger cars are coupled, their vestibules are joined by mating faceplate anddiaphragm assemblies to create a weather-tight seal for the safety and comfort of passengers who are stepping from car to car. In British usage the term refers to the part of the carriage where the passenger doors are located; this can be at the ends of the carriage (on long-distance stock) or at the1⁄4 and3⁄4 of length positions (typical on modern suburban stock).
The U.S. Department of EnergyBuilding Energy Codes Program released a publication on 19 June 2018, which detailed the requirements of a vestibule to be used in commercial buildings. The publication states it requires vestibules to reduce the amount of air that infiltrates a space in order to aid in energy conservation, as well as increasing comfort near entrance doors. By creating an air lock entry, vestibules reduce infiltration losses or gains caused by wind.
Designers of commercial buildings must install a vestibule between the main entry doors leading to spaces that are greater than or equal to 3,000 square feet (280 m2). One other requirement of the design is that it is not necessary for both sets of door to be open in order to pass through the vestibule, and they should have devices that allow for self-closing.[13]
An example of such is inNew York City where in the winter, temporary sidewalk vestibules are commonly placed in front of entrances to restaurants to reduce cold drafts from reaching customers inside.[14]
Media related toVestibules at Wikimedia Commons
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