semi-empty / half-empty> forms

hi everyone,

"semi-empty" or "half-empty" forms <-----Edited by moderator to add topic to post.----->

Which one is the right one when you want to speak about architectural forms?
for example:

The façade of the building is made of a combination between heavy volumes in different heights and semi-empty parts like porticos.

Thanks

You might consider "open" rather than "empty" and either omitting "semi" or "half" entirely or using a less precise designation like "partly" or "mostly".
Some definitions of "open" from our dictionary:

• mostly free of things that block or that prevent movement through: an open floor plan.

• [before a noun]built or designed so as not to be fully enclosed: an open staircase.

• [before a noun]having mostly large or numerous empty spaces, gaps, or intervals: open ranks of soldiers.

I agree completely with srk.

If you do need to specify what approximate proportion of a space is occupied, please note that half-empty is a normal word but semi-empty sounds strange and awkward. English compound nouns seldom mix components from widely different languages or language groups. Thus we say semi-circular or half-round, but never semi-round.