Tripartite Floor Plan

The tripartite floor plan is a linear arrangement of three spaces moving from public to private, and was used extensively in both domestic and religious buildings in Ancient Egypt. The first space was an entryway or reception room, through which one had a partially obstructed view of the second space: the hall or hypostyle. This central hall was the grandest and most important; the ceiling of it was typically much higher than the adjoining rooms and featured clerestory windows. The comparative lightness and volume of this middle space served to draw visitors in from the entryway and to keep them out of the third area, which was the darkest, smallest, and most private area in the floor plan. The third space housed a sanctuary or living quarters, depending on the function of the building.