Porte-cochère

 ( Architectural Elements ) 

A porte-cochère (; ; ; ) is a to a building or courtyard, "often very grand," through which vehicles can enter from the streetJames Curl (2017). The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture, third edition. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. . "porte-cochère", p. 592. According to this source it is an "erroneous term for a projecting canopy or porch large enough to admit carriages." or a covered porch-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which originally a horse and carriage and today a motor vehicle can pass to provide arriving and departing occupants protection from the elements.

Portes-cochères are still found on such structures as major public buildings and hotels, providing covered access for visitors and guests arriving by motorized transport.

A porte-cochère, a structure for vehicle passage, is to be distinguished from a portico, a columned porch or entry for human, rather than vehicular, traffic.

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History The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th- and 19th-century and public buildings. A well-known example is at Buckingham Palace in London. A portico at the White House in Washington, D.C. is often confused with a porte-cochère, where a raised vehicle ramp gives an architectural portico the functionality of the latter.

Today portes-cochères are found at both elaborate private homes and such public buildings as churches, hotels, health facilities, and schools. Portes-cochère differ from in that the vehicles pass through for passengers to board or exit rather than being parked beneath the covered area.

are often found at the foot of portes-cochère, acting as protective bollards to prevent vehicles from damaging the structure.

==Gallery==

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See also

• Glossary of architecture

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