Tapered Square Columns

Ancient Greece is the home of stone architectural columns and where the standards were set for the column designs used today. Later in antiquity, the Romans adopted Greek column designs and added variations of their own. In the latter stages of ancient Greek architectural history, tapered columns were recognized as adding aesthetic grace to what had begun as bulky vertical support beams.

The Romans also used tapered columns widely and incorporated square tapered columns along with the traditional round fluted columns found in so many Greek ruins. Square tapered columns complemented the blocked design of the temples and government buildings in both cultures.

Contemporary square tapered columns usually boast a molded Tuscan base and capital. The Tuscan design, handed down from the Romans, calls for a flat square block as both base and capital. Between the column shaft and these slender squares are beveled surfaces on each side that join the base and top to the narrower square shaft.

Tapered square columns are available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. Classical Tuscan architectural standards called for columns that are three times as tall as they are thick. Today’s square tapered columns are considerably more slender and a contemporary architectural favorite.

Square Tapered Shaft Availability & Panel/ Specifications

						Shaft Specification
Column	Available Column Lengths				Column Bottom		Column top		Panels Specifications
Width	Available Column Lengths				Nominal Width	Net Width	Nominal Width	Net Width	Recess Width on Raised Panels	Side & top of Shaft Recess
12”	12”x4’	12”x5’	12”x6’	12”x8’	12”	11-5/8”	8”	7-5/8”	1-1/4”	1-1/2”
16”	16”x4’	16”x5’	16”x6’	16”x8’	16”	15-5/8”	12”	11-5/8”	1-1/4”	1-1/2”
20”	20”x4’	20”x5’	20”x6’	20”x8’	20”	19-5/8”	14”	13-5/8”	1-1/4”	1-1/2”
24”	24”x4’	24”x5’	24”x6’	24”x8’	24”	23-5/8”	16”	15-5/8”	1-1/4”	1-1/2”

Standard Capital & Base

	Base Specifications				Capital Specifications
Column	Plinth			Inside	Abacus			Inside
Width	A	B	C	Opening	I	H	G	Opening
12”	15-5/8””	1”	1-5/8”	7-5/8”	11-5/8”	1”	1-1/8”	3-5/8”
16”	19-5/8”	1”	1-5/8”	11-5/8”	15-5/8”	1”	1-1/8”	7-5/8”
20”	23-5/8”	1”	1-5/8”	15-5/8”	17-5/8”	1”	1-1/8”	9-5/8”
24”	27-5/8”	1”	1-5/8”	19-5/8”	19-5/8”	1”	1-1/8”	11-5/8”

Optional Crown Capital & Base

Base Specifications					Capital Specifications
Column	Plinth			Inside	Abacus			Inside
Width	A	B	C	Opening	I	H	G	Opening
12”	17-5/8”	1”	3”	7-5/8”	13-5/8”	1”	3”	3-5/8”
16”	21-5/8”	1”	3”	11-5/8”	17-5/8”	1”	3”	7-5/8”
20”	25-5/8”	1”	3”	15-5/8”	19-5/8”	1”	3”	9-5/8”
24”	29-5/8”	1”	3”	19-5/8”	21-5/8”	1”	3”	11-5/8”