edifice
/ˈedɪfɪs/noun
1- formal a building, especially a large, imposing one〈正式〉（尤指巨大而雄伟的）建筑物; 大厦。
1.1
- figurative a complex system of beliefs〈喻〉复杂的信仰体系：
the concepts on which the edifice of capitalism was built.
作为建立资本主义大厦依据的一些观念。
词源
late Middle English: via Old French from Latin aedificium, from aedis 'dwelling' + facere 'make'.