Architecture question

[Jackarandajam]

So you're walking along a city street and see a rectangular hole in the ground surrounded by a railing with stairs going down into it and a door down there.
Is there a name for that?
I'm currently browsing an architectural encyclopedia trying to find it and Google didn't cough it up.
Seems like it would have a name, as in "He walked around the corner of the building, shuffled down a --- and knocked at the basement door."

Obviously I could just use descriptors but it seems like there should be a word for it.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Didnt find anything, but did discover the term Undercroft which pleases me

 

[Ban]

There might not be a term, but "He walked around the corner of the building, shuffled down the stairwell leading into the undercroft and knocked on the basement door" ought to work, or otherwise "He walked around the corner of the building, shuffled down a stairwell that ended at a closed door on its landing. He knocked on it."

 

[Finchbearer]

Underpass

 

[pmmg]

Undercroft is not exact. I fear this is overthinking it.

What would I call it if it was a second floor entry? I think basement entry about cover it.

 

[Finchbearer]

Are we talking about a city underpass? Or an entrance to a subway? Or an entrance to an underground building?

 

[Aldarion]

So you're walking along a city street and see a rectangular hole in the ground surrounded by a railing with stairs going down into it and a door down there.
Is there a name for that?
I'm currently browsing an architectural encyclopedia trying to find it and Google didn't cough it up.
Seems like it would have a name, as in "He walked around the corner of the building, shuffled down a --- and knocked at the basement door."

Obviously I could just use descriptors but it seems like there should be a word for it.

The only thing that comes to the mind is a stairwell. Which fits well, since what you are describing would literally be a stairs well.

Didnt find anything, but did discover the term Undercroft which pleases me

Undercroft was a new word for me, but it appears to be a cellar which is not what your description is pointing to.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Yeah, the Undercroft thing was unrelated, just a cool term I saw.

And yeah, I can just describe it.
I was just curious if there was a specific name for those sidewalk basement access things. Seems like they would have a clever name.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Are we talking about a city underpass? Or an entrance to a subway? Or an entrance to an underground building?

Basement to a building. I used to see them downtown in cities, sometimes there were restaurants down there or something. Rectangular hole in the sidewalk, smallish, surrounded by a (usually wrought iron) handrail, containing (usually concrete) stairs leading down to a basement door.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Undercroft was a new word for me, but it appears to be a cellar which is not what your description is pointing to.

Yeah I know, but it's cool, huh?