The 800-year-old Church of Termunterzijl in the north of the Netherlands

Church architecture, (sometimes known as Ecclesiastical Architecture) refers to the buildings of Christian churches. It has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by imitating other architectural styles as well as responding to changing beliefs, practices and local traditions. Both theological and practical influences on church architecture have included pagan and secular buildings and those of other faiths. Buildings were at first adapted from those originally intended for other purposes but, with the rise of distinctively ecclesiastical architecture, church buildings came to influence secular ones which have often imitated religious architecture. In the 20th century, the use of new materials, such as concrete, as well as simpler styles has had its effect upon the design of churches and arguably the flow of influence has been reversed. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Larger than life structures remain at Karnak 3400 years later Religious architecture is concerned with the design and construction of places of worship, such as churches, mosques, stupas, synagogues, and temples. ...

Beginnings

The history of church architecture divides itself into periods, and into countries or regions and by religious affiliation. The matter is complicated by the fact that buildings put up for one purpose may have been re-used for another; that changes in liturgical practice may result in the alteration of existing buildings; that a building built by one religious group may be used by a successor group with different purposes and that new building techniques may permit changes in style and size.

The first period is that during which the Christian faith was illegal and, in principle, church building did not take place. In the very beginning Christians worshipped along with Jews in synagogues and in private houses. After the separation of Jews and Christians the latter continued to worship in people's houses. Some of these were at the top of several storey houses; others were covered courtyards. One of the earliest of adapted residences is at Dura Europa, built shortly after 200 AD, where two rooms were made into one, by removing a wall, and a dais was set up. To the right of the entrance a small room was made into a baptistry. A synagogue (from Greek synagoge place of assembly literally meeting, assembly,) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. ...

Early Christendom

During the period of Roman persecution of Christians, most regular worship took place privately in homes. With the victory of the Roman emperor Constantine at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312AD, Christianity became a lawful and then the privileged religion of the Roman Empire. The faith, already spread around the Mediterranean, now expressed itself in buildings. Their architecture was made to correspond to civic and imperial forms, and so the Basilica, a large rectangular meeting hall became general in east and west, as the model for churches, with a nave and aisles and sometimes galleries and clerestories. Pagan basilicas had as their focus a statue of the emperor; Christian basilicas replaced the emperor with God as king of heaven. At the east end was placed the altar behind which sat the bishop and his presbyters in an apse. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272–May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on... Combatants Constantinian forces Maxentian forces Commanders Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius† Strength ~50000 men ~75000-120000 men Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Milvian Bridge took place on October 28, 312 between the Roman Emperors Constantine the Great and Maxentius. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ... St. ... Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are also found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... In a modern church an aisle is thought of as a row down the middle of the church with a set of pews on each side. ... An auditorium is the area within a theatre, concert hall or other performance space where the audience is located in order to hear and watch the performance. ... Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ... Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, a synonym of episkopos, which has come to mean bishop. ... This article is about an architectural feature; for the astronomical term see apsis. ...

A second stage was the remodelling of the Basilica to produce the porch church or Vollwestwerk. The legalisation of the faith enabled people to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land and in particular to Jerusalem. Over time, there developed a pattern of services during Holy Week following the last week of the life of Christ culminating in the Way of the Cross, sometimes known as the Via Dolorosa from the place of trial to the Calvary, the place of crucifixion. Over the presumed site of the Calvary a Church, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built. At its east end was the presumed place of burial. At the west end was the Calvary. The procession would end with the pilgrims mounting the steps on one side of the west end of the Church to the place of crucifixion and then demounting on the other side. Two staircases, supported by twin towers, thus became necessary for this form of worship. This pattern was widely imitated and twin west towers can be seen in many churches and cathdrals in Europe, notably Westminster Abbey in London, even where the purpose of the towers had long gone. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Holy Land (Biblical). ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... Holy Week (Latin: Hebdomada Sancta) in Christianity is the last week of Lent. ... Christ is the English of the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ... The Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross; in Latin, Via Crucis or Via Dolorosa) refers to the depiction of the final days (or Passion) of Jesus, and the Roman Catholic and Anglican devotion commemorating the Passion. ... Via Dolorosa (Latin for Way of Grief) is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. ... Golgotha redirects here. ... The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, called the Church of the Resurrection (Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως, Naos tis Anastaseos; Georgian: აგდგომის ტადზარი Agdgomis Tadzari; Armenian: Surp Harutyun) by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ...

The period witnessed the division of the empire in the fourth century AD and then its collapse. East and West, Rome and Byzantium (the name of Constantinople, the modern Istanbul) went their separate ways. The final break was the Great Schism of 1054, but the divergence had begun long before that. Orthodox churches were often modelled, as to their plan, on an equal armed cross - the so-called Greek cross. Their interiors were marked by the division of the building by the iconostasis a screen on which were hung sacred pictures and which divided the altar from the body of the Church. Byzantium (Greek: Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city, which, according to legend, was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas (Βύζας or Βύζαντας in Greek). ... The term Great Schism may refer to: The East-West Schism, in 1054 between Western Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... 17th-century iconostasis of Prophet Elias church, Yaroslavl. ... Look up Altar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Middle Ages in the West

Participation in worship, which gave rise to the porch church, began to decline as the church became increasingly clericalised; with the rise of the monasteries church buildings changed as well. The 'two-room' church' became, in Europe, the norm. The first 'room' the nave, was used by the congregation; the second 'room, the sanctuary, was the preserve of the clergy and in which the Mass was celebrated. This could then be only seen, through the arch between the rooms, as from a distance, by the congregation, and the elevation of the host, the bread of the communion, became the focus of the celebration. Given that the liturgy was said in Latin, the people contented themselves with their own private devotions until this point. (Because of the difficulty of sight lines, some churches had holes cut strategically in walls and screens, called 'squints' through which the elevation could be seen from the nave.) Again, from the twin principles that every priest must say his mass every day and that an altar could only be used once, in religious communities a number of altars were required for which space had to be found, at least within monastic churches. Buddhist monastery near Tibet A monastery is the habitation of monks. ...

Apart from changes in the liturgy, the other major influence on church architecture was in the use of new materials and the development of new techniques. In northern Europe, early churches were often built of wood, for which reason almost none survive. With the wider use of stone by the Benedictine monks, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, larger structures were erected. Munichs city symbol celebrates its founding by Benedictine monks—the origin of its name A Benedictine is a person who follows the Rule of St Benedict. ...

The 'two-room' church, particularly if it were an abbey or a cathedral, might acquire transepts, effectively arms of the cross which now made up the groundplan of the building. The buildings became more clearly symbolic of what they were for. Sometimes this crossing, now the central focus of the church, would be surmounted by its own tower, in addition to the west end towers, or instead of them. (Such precarious structures were known to collapse - as at Ely - and had to be rebuilt). Sanctuaries, now providing for the singing of the offices by monks or canons, grew longer and became chancels, separated from the nave by a screen. Practical function and symbolism were both at work in the process of development. Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ... A canon (from the Latin canonicus and Greek κανωνικωσ relating to a rule) is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to a rule (canon). ... This article is about an architectural feature; for the astronomical term see apsis. ...

England

In England, Saxon churches still survive in some places but with the Norman conquest, increasingly the new Romanesque churches, often called Norman in England, became the rule. These were massive in relation to the space they enclosed, their walls pierced by windows with semi-circular arches. Internal vaulting used the same shaped arch. Unsupported roofs were never very wide. Yet some of these buildings were huge and of extraordinary beauty. The Abbey church of St. Mary Madgalene at Vézelay in Burgundy and Durham Cathedral in England are two very different examples of this form. Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the nave is a forerunner of the Gothic style. ... Vézelay Abbey was a Benedictine and Cluniac monastery in Vézelay in the Yonne département in Burgundy, France. ... Durham Cathedrals famous Sanctuary Knocker on the North Door Ground plan of Durham Cathedral Legend of the founding of Durham depicted on cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, which is almost always referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city...

The next development was due to the mobility of the master masons whose work this was. They followed the Crusades and built their own churches in the Holy Land, most notably the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem. However they also noticed that the local Muslim architecture deployed the much more flexible two-point or Gothic arch. The semi-circular arch was heavy and, in spite of this, resulted in weaknesses when two barrel vaults intersected. The 'gothic arch' on the other hand was stronger and could be used to make for wider unsupported spaces. The Siege of Antioch, from a medieval miniature painting, during the First Crusade. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Holy Land (Biblical). ... Interior of Cologne Cathedral Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ... Barrel vault In architecture, a barrel vault is an extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. ...

Salisbury Cathedral completed 1265 AD.

Thus there came to Europe, first the narrow, lancet window and then wider two-point arches, called in England the Early English style with its simple 'Y' tracery. The period is reckoned by Pevsner to run from about 1190 to 1250. In spite of its name the style was at one time called the French style and it is to be found all over the British Isles. One of the most notable buildings of the period is Salisbury Cathedral. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1352x1120, 349 KB) Salisbury Cathedral in the early morning light. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1352x1120, 349 KB) Salisbury Cathedral in the early morning light. ... Lancet windows light the altar trubune in the Basilica of Mary Magdalene, Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top [1] It acquired the lancet name from it resemblence to a lance [2]. Instances of this architectural motif... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Nikolaus Pevsner (January 30, 1902 - August 18, 1983) was a German-born British historian of art and, especially, architecture. ... Salisbury Cathedral in the early morning light. ...

By the late thirteenth century more daringly ornate styles of tracery were tried - the so-called Decorated or curvilinear Period, dating from 1290 - 1350. Here windows became larger, increasing the number of mullions (the vertical bars dividing the main part of the window) between the lights; above them, within the arch of the window, the tracery was formed using shapes styled 'daggers' and 'mouchettes', trefoils and quadrifoils; completely circular rose windows were made, incorporating all manner of shapes. Columns forming the arcades within churches of this period became more slender and elegant, the foliage of the capitals more flowing. The West Front of Exeter Cathedral The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral The Decorated Period, in architecture (also known as the Decorated Gothic, or simply Decorated) period is a historical division of English Gothic architecture. ... Tracery is implementation of net-like decorations in a building used especially in Gothic architecture. ... The rose window in Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England, at the western end of the nave. ...

Finally, the Perpendicular style (so-called because the mullions and transoms were vertical and horizontal) allowed huge windows, often filled with stained glass. The style, so described runs from about 1350 until 1530. Sometimes criticised as over formal, the spaces allowing for glass were huge. Another feature was that doorways were often enclosed by squared mouldings and the spaces between the moulding and the door arch - called spandrels - were decorated with quadrifoils etc. Ornate stone ceilings, using so-called fan vaulting, made for huge unsupported spaces. King's College Chapel, Cambridge has magnificent specimens of these. Meanwhile, the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral has an unsupported stone ceiling approximately 30 feet by 80 feet, using a star formation of lierne vaults and bosses. Fig. ... Mullion, Cornwall is also the name of a village in Cornwall off the Lizard. ... Transom (probably a corruption of Latin transtrum, a thwart, in a boat; equivalents are French traverse, croisillon, German Losholz) is the architectural term given to the horizontal lintel or beam which is framed across a window, dividing it into stages or heights. ... Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ... A spandrel is originally a term from Architecture, but has more recently been given an analogous meaning in Evolutionary biology. ... A feature of English Gothic Architecture wherein the wherein the ribs supporting a roof radiate out from a pillar to create a fan pattern. ... Kings College Chapel (partially obscured by the Gibbs Building), seen from The Backs Fan vaulting diagram Kings College Chapel is the chapel to Kings College of the University of Cambridge, and is one of the finest examples of late English Gothic or Perpendicular -style. ... Front of Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral (in full, The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely) is the principal church of the diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Ely. ... Plan of lierne vault - Ely Choir, (liernes are shaded black). ... Early English roof bosses at Salisbury Cathedral, England A Green Man roof boss from Dore Abbey, Herefordshire, England, no longer in its original position The nave of St. ...

The period from the Norman Conquest to the advent of the Reformation in the sixteenth century saw an unequalled development in church architecture. Walls became thinner; solid butressses became more elegant flying buttresses surmounted by pinnacles; towers, often surmounted by stone spires became taller, and more decorated, often castellated; internal pillars became more slender; unsupported spaces between them wider; roofs, formerly safely steeply pitched became flatter, often decorated with carved wooden angels and a bestiary; windows occupied more and more of the wall space; decorative carving more freely flowing; figures multiplied, particularly on the west fronts of cathedrals and abbeys. Finally with the cessation of the wars with the French and the apparent ending of the Wars of the Roses with the return of Edward IV in 1471, there was more money around so that new buildings could be put up and existing buildings enlarged. "Hardly had such towers risen on all sides; never had such timber roofs and screens been hewn and carved..." (Harvey) This is the period of the building of wool Churches like Long Melford and Lavenham and of King's College Chapel in Cambridge. Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest of England was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... In architecture, a flying buttress is a structural feature used to transmit the thrust of a vault across an intervening space, such as an aisle, chapel or cloister, to a buttress built outside the latter. ... A modern spire on the Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. ... Crenellation (or crenelation) is the name for the distinctive pattern that framed the tops of the walls of many medieval castles, often called battlements. ... A bestiary is a medieval book that has short descriptions of various real or imaginary animals, birds and even rocks. ... Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ... The church of the Holy Trinity Long Melford (or Melford, as it is more generally known) is a large, ancient village in the county of Suffolk, England, on the border with Essex, which is marked by the River Stour, approximately 20 miles from Colchester and 20 miles from Bury St. ... Map sources for Lavenham at grid reference TL9149 The church of St. ... Full name The King’s College of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Cambridge Motto Veritas et Utilitas Truth and usefulness Named after Henry VI Previous names - Established 1441 Sister College(s) New College, Oxford Provost Prof. ...

The interiors of mediaeval churches, apart from their many altars and stained glass (which, of course can only be properly seen from inside) had their purpose made visually plain by the almost universal presence of roods, huge figures of the crucified Christ, high above the congregation, mounted on a rood loft at the chancel arch -with steps to enable the priest to climb up; something which no one could miss. A wooden rood screen beneath might have painted on it figures of the apostles and angels. A rood is an old English ( Anglo-Saxon) unit equal to quarter an acre, i. ... Rood has several distinct meanings, all derived from the same basic etymology. ... The rood screen (also choir screen or chancel screen) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture, dividing the chancel from the nave. ...

With the reign of Henry VIII all of this was to be first put in question and then to come to a shuddering halt. On his death, and the accession of Edward VI almost all of the internal decoration was to be destroyed. The chantries and guilds which supported them became illegal or their functions taken from them. Images were removed, saints's days massively reduced. The Churches echoed to the sound of hammer blows as stone altars and images were smashed, glass broken, font covers and roods and their screens torn town and burnt. Thereafter they became empty places on weekdays and those who had formerly been benefactors were more wary, given the changes of direction of governmental policy which was to last more than 150 years. They spent their money on great houses instead. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Edward VI King of England and Ireland Edward VI (12 October 1537–6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. ... Chantry is a term for the English establishment of a shrine or chapel on private land where monks or priests would say (or chant) prayers on a fixed schedule, usually for someone who had died. ... A guild is an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ... A rood is an old English ( Anglo-Saxon) unit equal to quarter an acre, i. ...

Eastern Orthodoxy

Main article: Orthodox church (building)

St. Basil's Cathedral is one of the most famous churches. For details about Orthodox church architecture, see Byzantine architecture and Russian architecture.

East and west began to diverge from each other from an early date. Whereas the basilica, a long aisled hall with an apse at one end, was the most common form in the west, a more compact centralised style became predominant in the east. These churches were in origin 'martyria' focused on the tombs of the saints who had died during the persecutions which only fully ended with the conversion of the Emperor Constantine. They copied pagan tombs and were roofed over by a dome which symbolised heaven. The central dome was then often surrounded by structures at the four points of the compass producing a cruciform shape - these were themselves often topped by towers or domes. The centralised and basilica structures were sometimes combined as in the church of Hagia Sophia in Contantinople (now Istanbul). The basilican east end then allowed for the erection of an iconostasis, a screen on which icons are hung and which conceals the altar from the worshippers except at those points in the liturgy when its doors are opened. Saint Basils Cathedral in Moscow is one of the most famous Orthodox churches An Orthodox church as a church building of the Eastern Orthodoxy has a distinct, recognizable style among church architectures. ... Download high resolution version (500x630, 175 KB)Saint Basils Cathedral, 2004-07. ... Download high resolution version (500x630, 175 KB)Saint Basils Cathedral, 2004-07. ... St Basils Cathedral The Intercession Cathedral (Pokrovsky Cathedral, better known as the Cathedral of St. ... Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. ... Saint Basils Cathedral (1555-61) is a showcase of medieval Russian architecture. ... St. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... 17th-century iconostasis of Prophet Elias church, Yaroslavl. ...

The centralised form was to influence Islamic architecture, as for example the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Umayyad Great Mosque mosque in Damascus. The Dome of the Rock in the center of the Temple Mount, or Mount Moriah The Dome of the Rock (Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة, translit. ... The Umayyad Mosque in the center of Damascus The courtyard of the Mosque with the ancient Treasury (Beit al Mal) in the center The Grand Mosque of Damascus, also known as the Umayyad Mosque, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. ...

A variant form of the centralised church was developed in Russia and came to prominence in the sixteenth century. Here the dome was replaced by a much thinner and taller hipped or conical roof which, it is said, originated from the need to prevent snow from remaining on roofs.One of the finest examples of these tented churches is St. Basil's in Red Square in Moscow. The rocket-like church at Ostrov near Moscow is considered typical for Boris Godunovs reign. ...

The Renaissance

The cessation of church building in many Protestant countries was not paralleled in the Roman Catholic Church. On the contrary a new phase of church design emerged, based upon classical culture. Around them in Rome, and elsewhere, lay the ruins of classical buildings with their columns and entablatures and gables. The temples of pagan Rome were to be the models for the new churches. These, instead of having long vaulted naves and aisles, had a centralised plan. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman Catholic Church... Deconstructing a Roman pillar. ... An entablature is a classical architectural element, the superstructure which lies horizontally above the columns, resting on their capitals. ... The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, Massachusetts, showing four gables in this view. ...

Along with the interest in antiquity, art flourished. Mercantile benefactors supported both sacred and secular projects. The rise of the theatre and the opera provided another external source of ideas for the Church. If the congregation had become passive observers, as was the case, there must be something for them to see. The focus of the liturgy had traditionally been the elevation of the Host at the Mass. Extra-liturgical devotions such as the exposition of the reserved sacrament became more important. If the church was a sort of theatre, then the rest of the building could emphasise this element of seeing. If this is coupled with the more and more exotic forms of architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, known as Baroque then we have a new kind of church, there to provide distant vistas, with a scenic progression along the horizontal axis. An examples of this can be seen in the Wallfahrtskirche, in Innen, Germany. In the St. Johann Nepomuk Kirche in Munich, the process reaches the extreme sometimes known as Rococo. In Christian practice, the Bread and Wine of the Communion constitute the sacrament of the altar. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... Asamkirche Munich The Asam Church St. ... North side of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo - carriage courtyard: all the stucco details sparkled with gold until 1773, when Catherine II had gilding replaced with olive drab paint. ...

The auditory church

In the seventeenth century, across Western Europe, a return was seen towards the single room church in which everything could be seen. In Protestant countries these were somewhat simple and, among the finest examples, from an architectural point of view were the churches of Sir Christopher Wren. This was a one room design in which altar and pulpit were both visible. Churches were to be sufficiently small, including galleries, so that all could see what was taking place. Chancels were suppressed, screens were deemed unnecessary obstructions. Buildings had three defined centres: the font - by the door, the pulpit and reading desk, and the altar. Within Lutheranism similar principles obtained. The Prinzipalstück ideal was of an oblong building without a chancel with a single space at the east end combining all liturgical acts: baptism, service of the word and communion. These ideas, with variations, were to affect the building of nonconformist chapels in seventeenth century England. Galleries increased the capacity without increasing the distance between worshipper and preacher. Sir Christopher Wren, (20 October 1632–25 February 1723) was a 17th century English designer, astronomer, geometrician, and the greatest English architect of his time. ... Non conformism is the term of KKK ...

Gothic Revival

The growth of cities in the nineteenth centuries necessitated a huge growth in church building. This was a period of interest in the history of the Church and a search for authenticity. Buildings based upon classical models were dismissed as pagan. Instead, looking at the mediaeval churches around them, it seemed plain that Gothic was the style. Large churches, often much too large, were built in England mostly according to some version of these ideas. (Civic buildings, including town halls but even water pumping stations followed the same fashion.) Gothic-style church buildings were erected by Anglicans,as by Methodists Congregationalists and Baptists alike, many of whom abhored the beliefs of the originators of Gothic architecture. Some of the building was highly competitive: the grandiose Roman Catholic Church at Cheadle by A.W.N.Pugin (1812-1852) outshines its more modest mediaeval Anglican counterpart. Bishop Blomfield's churches in London were more of a standard issue: all include a tower, chancel, nave, all with two-point arched windows and doors. Interior of Cologne Cathedral Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Baptist churches are part of a Christian movement often regarded as an Evangelical, Protestant denomination. ... Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (March 1, 1812–September 14, 1852) was an English-born architect, designer and theorist of design now best remembered for his work on churches and on the Houses of Parliament. ... Charles James Blomfield (1786-1857), English divine, was born on May 29 1786 at Bury St Edmunds. ...

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell, Auckland. Late 20th century. The modern facade hints at features of the elevation of the older wooden Gothic cathedral just visible behind it.

In some places, the style survived well into the 20th century. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1612 KB) Summary Taken from the North on 17 January 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1612 KB) Summary Taken from the North on 17 January 2006. ... Interior of Cologne Cathedral Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ...

The nineteenth century was also saw the rebuilding of mediaeval churches and their alleged restoration to mediaeval purity. Since many had been added to over the period from the Conquest to the Reformation, decisions had to be taken as to which was the right period. Thus, architects such as George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878) replaced Perpendicular windows with speculative lancets, often with slight justification. Stained glass, lost at the Reformation, was replaced by Victorian designers, often with Biblical scenes. Churches, which had been once very light, became darker again. Only when the Liturgical Movement began to make its influence felt was there any relief from the conviction that there was only one style for churches. The chapel of St Johns College, Cambridge is characteristic of Scotts many church designs Sir George Gilbert Scott (July 13, 1811 – March 27, 1878) was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses. ... Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ... The Liturgical Movement is a movement of scholarship and the reform of worship within the Roman Catholic Church which has taken place over the last century and a half and which has affected many Reformed Churches including the Church of England and other Churches of the Anglican Communion. ...

Modernity

The idea that worship was a corporate activity and that the congregation should be in no way excluded from sight or participation is owed to the Liturgical Movement. Simple one-room plans are almost of the essence of modernity in architecture. In France and Germany between the first and second World Wars, some of the major developments took place. The church at Le Raincy near Paris by Auguste Perret is cited as the starting point of process, not only for its plan but also for the materials used, reinforced concrete. More central to the development of the process was Schloss Rothenfels-am-Main in Germany which was remodelled in 1928. Rudolf Schwartz, its architect, was hugely influential on later church building, not only on the continent of Europe but also in the United States of America. Schloss Rothenfels was a large rectangular space, with solid white walls, deep windows and a stone pavement. It had no decoration. The only furniture consisted of a hundred little black cuboid moveable stools. For worship, an altar was set up and the faithful surrounded it on three sides. The Liturgical Movement is a movement of scholarship and the reform of worship within the Roman Catholic Church which has taken place over the last century and a half and which has affected many Reformed Churches including the Church of England and other Churches of the Anglican Communion. ... St. ...

Corpus Christi in Aachen was Schwartz's first parish church and adheres to the same principles, very much reminiscent of the Bauhaus movement of art. Externally it is a plan cube; the interior has white walls and colourless windows, a langbau ie a narrow rectangle at the end of which is the altar. It was to be, said Schwartz not 'christocentric' but 'theocentric'. In front of the altar were simple benches. Behind the altar was a great white void of a back wall, signifying the region of the invisible Father. The influence of this simplicity spread to Switzerland with such architects as Fritz Metzger and Dominikicus Böhm. Typography by Herbert Bayer above the entrance to the workshop block of the Bauhaus, Dessau, 2005. ... Christocentric is a doctrinal term within Christianity pertaining to teachings focused on Jesus Christ, the second person of the Christian Trinity, as opposed to the Holy Spirit or God the Father. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

After the Second World war, Metzger continued to develop his ideas, notably with the church of St. Franscus at Basel-Richen. Among other notable buildings is the chapel at Ronchamp by Le Corbusier (1955). Similar principles of simplicity and continuity of style throughout can be found in the United States, in particular at the Roman Catholic Abbey church of St. Procopius, in Lisle, near Chicago (1971). Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France Informally known as Ronchamp, the chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France completed in 1954 is considered one of the finest examples of architecture by the late French/Swiss architect Le Corbusier and one of the most important and successful examples of... Ronchamp is a town and commune of the Haute-Saône département in northeastern France. ... Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier (October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965), was a French, Swiss-born architect and writer, who is famous for his contributions to what now is called Modern Architecture. ...

A theological principle which resulted in change was the decree Sacrosanctum Concilium of the Second Vatican Council issued in December 1963. This encouraged 'active participation' by the faithful in the celebration of the liturgy by the people and required that new churches should be built with this in mind (para 124) Subsequently, rubrics and instructions encouraged the use of a freestanding altar with the priest facing the people. The effect of these changes can be seen in such churches as the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedraland the Cathedral of Brasilia, both circular buildings with a free-standing altar. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral steps The south elevation and main entrance to the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral in Liverpool, has the official name of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. ...

Different principles and practical pressures produced other changes. Parish churches were inevitably built more modestly. Often shortage of finances, as well as a 'market place' theology suggested the building of multi-purpose churches, in which secular and sacred events might take place in the same space at different times. Again, the emphasis on the unity of the liturgical action, was countered by a return to the idea of movement. Three spaces, one for the baptism, one for the liturgy of the word and one for the celebration of the eucharist with a congregation standing around an altar, were promoted by Richard Giles in England and the United States. The congregation were to process from one place to another. Such arrangements were less appropriate for large congregations than for small; for the former, proscenium arch arrangements with huge amphitheatres such as at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago in the United States have been one answer. The present and recent past are always less easy to categorise. Willow Creek Community Church is a large American nondenominational church in the suburb of South Barrington, Illinois near Chicago, Illinois. ...

References

• Davies, J.G. [1971] Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship. London: SCM.
• Giles, Richard [1996] Repitching the Tent. Norwich: Canterbury Press.
• Giles, Richard [2004] Uncommon Worship. Norwich: Canterbury Press.
• Harvey, John [1972] The Midiaeval Architect. London: Wayland
• Pevsner, Nikolaus [1951-74] The Buildings of England (series). Harmondsworth: Penguin.
• Graham-Dixon, Andrew [1996] A History of British Art Chapter 1 London: BBC Books
• Ecclesiastical Architecture. Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by The Encyclopedia Press. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Church (building)
• Religious architecture
• abbey
• Category:Church architecture
• cathedral architecture
• Polish Cathedral style churches in North America
• chapel
• church
• Marian and Holy Trinity columns
• monastery

A church building (or simply church) is a building used in Christian worship. ... Larger than life structures remain at Karnak 3400 years later Religious architecture is concerned with the design and construction of places of worship, such as churches, mosques, stupas, synagogues, and temples. ... Bold textTHIS IS THE PAGE THAT A.S. REALLY NEEDS!! THIS IS NOW MARKED!!! ] ps i like A.O. This article is about an abbey as a Christian monastic community. ... Montreal (Canada) cathedral Cathedrals are among the most ambitious buildings ever conceived, far exceeding the size and complexity of most other constructions and often requiring many years to complete. ... It has been suggested that Polish Cathedral be merged into this article or section. ... A chapel is a private church, usually small and often attached to a larger institution such as a college, a hospital, a palace, or a prison. ... It has been suggested that Ecclesia (Church) be merged into this article or section. ... The plague Column of the Virgin Mary Immaculate in Kutná Hora, the Czech Republic, built between 1713 and 1715 Erecting religious monuments in the form of a column surmounted by a figure or a Christian symbol was a gesture of public faith that flourished in the Catholic countries of Europe... Monastery of St. ...

External links

• Oldest Christian chapel in the Holy Land found