mansard roof
mansard roof, type of roof having two slopes on every side, the lower slope being considerably steeper than the upper. In cross section the straight-sided mansard can appear like a gambrel roof, but it differs from the gambrel by displaying the same profile on all sides. Although the style was used as early as the mid-16th century in England and Italy and was employed by Pierre Lescot at the Louvre, it was named for the 17th-century architect François Mansart, who used it on Paris hôtels (town houses) and the châteaus of Balleroy, Blois, and Maisons.
- Related Topics:
- gambrel
The mansard may have been first used because its predominantly horizontal profile was more in harmony with the Classical orders than were roofs with a higher pitch. When pierced with dormers, the mansard provides a spacious and economical attic story. During the mid-19th century it was particularly popular, especially in France and in the United States.