What is "atrium"

Atrium \A"tri*um\, n.; pl. Atria. [L., the fore court of a Roman house.]

1. (Arch.)

   1. A square hall lighted from above, into which rooms open at one or more levels.

   2. An open court with a porch or gallery around three or more sides; especially at the entrance of a basilica or other church. The name was extended in the Middle Ages to the open churchyard or cemetery.

2. (Anat.) The main part of either auricle of the heart as distinct from the auricular appendix. Also, the whole articular portion of the heart.

3. (Zo["o]l.) A cavity in ascidians into which the intestine and generative ducts open, and which also receives the water from the gills. See Ascidioidea.

4. (Anat.) A cavity, entrance, or passage; as, the atrium, or atrial cavity, in the body wall of the amphioxus; an atrium of the infundibula of the lungs, etc. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] ||

1570s, from Latin atrium "central court or main room of an ancient Roman house, room which contains the hearth," sometimes said (on authority of Varro, "De Lingua Latina") to be an Etruscan word, but perhaps from PIE *ater- "fire," on notion of "place where smoke from the hearth escapes" (through a hole in the roof). Anatomical sense of "either of the upper cavities of the heart" first recorded 1870. Meaning "skylit central court in a public building" first attested 1967.

n. 1 (context architecture English) A central room or space in ancient Roman homes, open to the sky in the middle; a similar space in other buildings. 2 (context architecture English) A square hall lit by daylight from above, into which rooms open at one or more levels. 3 (context anatomy English) A cavity, entrance, or passage. 4 (context biology English) Any enclosed sexine and nexine layers, widening toward the interior of the grain.

1. n. any chamber that is connected to other chambers or passageways (especially one of the two upper chambers of the heart)

2. the central area in a building; open to the sky

3. [also: atria (pl)]

Atrium may refer to:

The atrium (plural: atria) is one of the two blood collection chambers of the heart. It was previously called the auricle, but that name is now used for an appendage of the atrium. The atrium is a chamber in which blood enters the heart, as opposed to the ventricle, where it is pushed out of the organ. It has a thin-walled structure that allows blood to return to the heart. There is at least one atrium in animals with a closed circulatory system.

The atrium receives blood as it returns to the heart to complete a circulating cycle, whereas the ventricle pumps blood out of the heart to start a new cycle.

In architecture, an atrium (plural versions: atria in Latin or atriums in American English) is a large open air or skylight covered space surrounded by a building. Atria were a common feature in Ancient Roman dwellings, providing light and ventilation to the interior. Modern atria, as developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries, are often several stories high and having a glazed roof or large windows, and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors (in the lobby).

Atria are a popular design feature because they give their buildings a "feeling of space and light." The atrium has become a key feature of many buildings in recent years. Atria are popular with building users, building designers and building developers. Users like atria because they create a dynamic and stimulating interior that provides shelter from the external environment while maintaining a visual link with that environment. Designers enjoy the opportunity to create new types of spaces in buildings, and developers see atria as prestigious amenities that can increase commercial value and appeal. Fire control is an important aspect of contemporary atrium design due to criticism that poorly designed atria could allow fire to spread to a building's upper stories more quickly.