Like the pointed arch, the parabolic arch was an Arabic motif imported to Spain by the occupying Moors. Since it was more costly to build than a round arch and therefore less common, its singular form was always a focal point. This design allows the graceful shape of the arch to stand on its own, with only a band of painted tile across the spandrel, a tiled semicircular planter, and a delicate fringe of wrought iron providing visual foils. The clean juncture between glass and stucco, an example of a technique known as direct glazing, creates the illusion of an open archway.