tower buttress

Also known as: pier buttress

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

A tower buttress is a type of exterior support in architecture, typically made of masonry. It is a simple masonry pile attached to a wall at regular intervals, often found at the corners of buildings or at either side of an archway, such as for the defense of a gate wall.12

Buttresses, in general, serve to strengthen walls or to resist the sideways force created by the load of an arch or roof. While buttresses have been used since ancient times, they are particularly associated with Gothic architecture, where they evolved into more complex forms like the flying buttress.13

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buttress
…of buttresses include pier or tower buttresses, simple masonry piles attached to a wall at regular intervals; hanging buttresses, freestanding piers connected to a wall by corbels; and various types of corner buttresses—diagonal, angle, clasping, and setback—that support intersecting walls.
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…of buttresses include pier or tower buttresses, simple masonry piles attached to a wall at regular intervals; hanging buttresses, freestanding piers connected to a wall by corbels; and various types of corner buttresses—diagonal, angle, clasping, and setback—that support intersecting walls.
Read More