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A tympanum is the field above a door or window, set between the lintel and the arch above it. Decorative Architectural Shapes makes tympanum panels in relief and plain styles, to fill that space with detail and give an entrance a clear focal point.

Tympanum meaning in architecture

In architecture the tympanum is the semicircular or triangular panel inside an arch or a pediment. In Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals, such as Autun, Conques and Chartres, the tympanum over the portal carried carved scenes. Today the word also covers the triangular field of a classical pediment. Pediment and tympanum are related but not the same: the pediment is the whole gable-shaped element, and the tympanum is the recessed panel inside it. An arch tympanum fills the space under an arched head above a door or window.

Foam tympanum panels

Each panel is CNC-cut from high-density EPS and covered with a polyurea hard coat. Relief patterns, shields, floral ornaments, scrolls or a plain recessed field can be produced to your drawing, and the coating resists moisture, UV and cracking. The light weight makes fixing above a door easy, and the finish can imitate stone, plaster or painted wood. A Gothic tympanum can carry tracery, and a classical one a wreath or an emblem, so tympanum art in foam gives a historic effect without carved stone.

Tympanum in architecture is also a question of proportion: the depth of the relief should suit the viewing distance, so deep carving works above a grand entrance and a shallow pattern suits a small porch.

Ordering

Send the opening width, the shape of the field, the style and photos. We prepare a drawing, produce the panel and ship it with installation guidance. Our products carry a 20-year warranty.

Tympanum panels pair well with pediments, door surrounds, arches and keystones from the same catalog, which helps the entrance read as one design. For commercial entrances, a panel can carry a monogram or a logo in relief.

How it works

1. Brief: send opening width, field shape and photos.
2. Design: we draw the panel and confirm relief and finish.
3. Production: CNC cutting and polyurea coating.
4. Delivery: the panel ships with installation guidance.

Request a free quote or open the catalog to choose a tympanum panel.