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THEORY & MATHEMATICSbeginner
Definition
An orthographic drawing showing what a building looks like when cut through by an imaginary vertical plane. The section reveals the internal heights, relationships between floors, structural elements, and the spatial drama of a building in a way that a plan cannot. It is one of the most important analytical tools in architecture.
Example
A section through the Pantheon in Rome reveals one of the most powerful geometric discoveries in architecture — the interior can accommodate a perfect sphere whose diameter equals the height of the building.