• 古希臘神廟的山形牆有雕刻。

• 古羅馬人把山形牆用在門窗裝飾上。

• 紅樓的外牆有三角形的裝飾。

• A pediment is the triangle part on top of a building.

• Greek temples had carvings on their pediments.

• The Romans used pediments as decoration on doors and windows.

• The Red Mansion has triangular decorations on its walls.

• 日治時期，建築上的窗戶設計讓牆面更有變化。

• 老虎窗是斜屋頂上的直立窗，名稱來自上海話「屋頂」的諧音「老虎」。

• 西門紅樓8個面頂端都有三角形老虎窗，與拱窗的設計相呼應，形成美感。

• Windows are mainly for lighting and ventilation.

• During the Japanese era, window designs added variety to building walls.

• Dormer windows are vertical windows on sloped roofs, named from a Shanghai dialect where “roof” sounds like “tiger.”

• Ximen Red House has triangular dormer windows on the top of its eight sides, matching the design of the arch windows below for aesthetic harmony.

• 牆體採用清水磚，外牆有紅白相間的橫飾帶，營造華麗感。

• 磚塊疊砌方式為平英式作法，順丁相間，形式優雅。

• Ximen Red House is named for its mostly red brick exterior.

• The walls use exposed bricks, with red and white horizontal bands adding elegance.

• The bricks are laid in a Plain English Bond, alternating stretcher and header courses, creating a simple and graceful style.

• 桁架從八角形牆體的8個角和邊的中心延伸，以等腰三角形支撐屋頂，無中央柱子，保持空間開闊。

• The roof truss on the second floor of the Red House is nearly 6 meters high, made of 16 L-shaped steel beams, radiating like 16 rays.

• The truss extends from the 8 corners and the centers of the 8 sides of the octagonal walls, using isosceles triangles to support the roof, without a central pillar, keeping the space open and spacious.

• 盲窗有窗框、花櫺和圖案，外觀像真正的窗戶，常見於外園牆內側，亦稱「假漏窗」。

• 盲窗是明窗在特殊條件下的變通形式，早在一些漢墓中就出現過。

• 唐代及以後的古塔牆壁上也有盲窗，主要起到象徵作用，增強建築的美觀性。

• A blind window is a decorative window on a wall that doesn’t allow light or air through.

• It has a window frame, grille, and patterns, looking like a real window, often found on the inner side of garden walls, also called a “false window.”

• A blind window is a variant of a regular window in special conditions and appeared as early as in Han tombs.

• Blind windows are also seen on the walls of ancient pagodas from the Tang dynasty and later, serving a symbolic purpose and enhancing the building’s beauty.

• 紅樓的窗戶上方有放射狀的拱心石，並與靠近屋頂的兩條橫帶相連，形成連續的裝飾帶。

• The keystone was originally used in arches, playing a structural role by fitting at the top to bear pressure.

• The Red House windows have radiating keystones at the top, connecting with two horizontal bands near the roof, forming a continuous decorative strip.

• 它通常由石塊或磚頭構成，在哥德式建築中廣泛應用，使教堂建築可以建得更高。

• 扶壁還能增加建築的抗震力。

• 西門紅樓十字樓的扶壁讓原本40公分厚的牆更加堅固。

• Buttress, also known as a flying buttress, is an auxiliary structure used to distribute the load of the main wall.

• It is typically made of stone or brick and is widely used in Gothic architecture, allowing church buildings to be built taller.

• Buttresses also help enhance earthquake resistance.

• The buttresses of Ximen Red House’s cruciform building strengthen its already 40 cm thick walls.

• 早期日式建築多為木造，現在紅樓為了引入更多光線，改為使用透明玻璃。

• This technique originates from Japan, where a small pointed roof (known as “yane” in Japanese) is added above the main roof to improve lighting and ventilation.

• Early Japanese buildings were mostly wooden, but in the Red House, transparent glass is used to bring in more light.