How to Build an Arch in Minecraft

The oval method

1. Decide the opening width (for example, 15) and the arch height (for example, 5).
2. Open the oval generator and set the width to 15 and the height to twice the arch height (10).
3. Build only the top half of the oval, standing up on its side.
4. Fill the space above with your wall block.

Types of arches

• Round (Roman) arch: half a circle – width = 2 × height.
• Flat arch: a wide, low oval for bridges.
• Pointed (Gothic) arch: two curves that meet in a point. Build the left half of one oval and the right half of another, offset sideways.
• Small arch with stairs: for 3-wide doors, put upside-down stairs in the top corners.

Tips

• Use a thick arch (2–3 blocks deep) for bridges and city gates.
• Mix stone bricks, cracked and mossy variants for an old look.
• Use stairs and slabs on the inner edge to smooth the curve.

Arch bridges

For a stone bridge, build one large flat arch from an oval about twice as wide as it is tall, then add a 3-wide path on top with walls as railings. Repeat smaller arches for long bridges.

The stairs-and-slabs method

For small doorways you don’t need a blueprint:

1. Build pillars on both sides of the opening.
2. Place upside-down stairs facing inward at the top corners.
3. Fill the middle top with full blocks or slabs to soften the step.

7 and 9-block arches

• 7 wide: 2 upside-down stairs at each corner, then a 3-block flat top.
• 9 wide: steps of 2, 1, 1 on each side and a 3-block flat top – or use a 9 × 10 oval from the oval generator.

Archway entrance ideas

Use a thick stone archway with lanterns on chains for castles, a cherry wood arch with leaves for gardens, and a blackstone arch around a nether portal.