When looking at an architectural column, it is easy to focus on the column itself. Its shaft, capital, proportions, and decorative details tend to attract the most attention. But there is another architectural element at the bottom that plays an important role in the overall design: the pedestal.

A pedestal is the architectural base or support upon which a column, post, statue, vase, or other feature is placed. In outdoor design, pedestals can provide both practical support and an important visual transition between the landscape and the architecture above it.

For landscape professionals, understanding what a pedestal is and how it relates to columns, posts, and other architectural elements can be useful when designing pergolas, pavilions, porticos, garden structures, and formal landscapes.

What Is a Pedestal in Architecture?

At its simplest, a pedestal is a raised architectural base that supports something above it.

When used with a column, the pedestal creates a transition betwe...