A
blind arcade is an
arcade that is composed of a series of
arches that has no actual openings and that is applied to the surface of a wall as a decorative element: i.e. the
arches are not
windows or openings but are part of the
masonry face. It is designed as an ornamental architectural element, and has no load-bearing function. Whereas a
blind arch is usually a single arch or a series of joined
arches as a
frieze (sometimes called
Lombard bands), a blind arcade is composed of a series of
arches that have well-defined
columns.