A balustrade is a short railing. This is one design of a baluster, but balustrades can feature many different designs, as long as it conforms to the basic look of a rail. In this example the balustrade acts almost like a balcony. In this example it clearly is ornamental and is meant to draw the eye up to the top of the structure. A balustrade is a great way to create unity with a rhythmic component to a structure.