A Trefoil arch, or three-foiled cusped arch, is an arch incorporating the shape or outline of a trefoil – three overlapping rings. It has been widely used for its symbolic significance (Holy Spirit or the Trinity) in Christian architecture. The word trefoil comes from the Latin word trifolium meaning a three leaved plant. Try experimenting with different positions for the three centres in order to play with the design. Simply keep symmetry!
Many arches and portals used these lobes as ornamentation of Gothic structures. The trefoil arch of New York's Central Park, completed in 1862, is an excellent example of the trefoil being applied to a bridge. However, the arch of this bridge is not a structurally efficient form, as the lobes disrupt the structural continuity of the arch and are purely ornamental.
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