Charles Borromeo and Catholic TraditionSt. Charles Borromeo published a summary of Catholic traditions regarding church design 14 years after the conclusion of the Council of Trent. Given the direction church architecture has taken over recent decades, it is instructive to revisit Borromeo's architectural treatise undertaken in the midst of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. more...
In the Image and Likeness of GodVitruvius, a Roman architect writing three decades before the Incarnation, reiterated the Greek understanding of the human body as the measure for all true architecture - in the image and likeness of God. It was this concept that informed the arrangement, scale, hierarchy, and proportion of new church architecture during the Renaissance. more...
The Catholic Churches of LondonLondon churches are some of the finest examples of Catholic architecture built over the past 300 years. Their designs owe much to the genius of Gothic revivalists such as A.W.N. Pugin and William Wardell, and Classicists such as Anglican architects Sir Christopher Wren and Inigo Jones. more...
Los Angeles and the Mission RevivalIt was during the 1920’s that many of seemingly different ideas of what was supposed to be “Spanish” mission architecture began to come together in a particular style — a style of many origins, but so carefully blended that it became uniquely Californian. more...
Gaudí’s masterpiece is 'virtually' completedWith Sagrada Familia, architect Antoni Gaudí wanted to create a truly “20th century cathedral,” a synthesis of all his architectural knowledge, using a complex system of Catholic symbolism and a visual explication of the mysteries of faith. He didn't live to see it completed. In fact, Sagrada Familia is still under construction today. more...
Putting Legends to the TestRosslyn Chapel, located a few miles outside of Edinburgh in the town of Roslin, has for centuries been the subject of fantastic legends and mysteries that still puzzle observers today. A proposal for a “non-invasive” excavation at this 15th-century Gothic church has met with opposition, who say: 'Leave it alone!' more...
Adapting the Roman BasilicaAfter Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, public worship of Christ was not only no longer forbidden, but was favored by the emperor over the pagan cults. Consequently, constantine made large financial contributions to the Church. His architect's adapted the general form of the Roman basilica for Christian worship - and with good reason. more...
Neo-Gothic Architecture TodayIn our modern society, says architect Ethan Anthony, we must unlearn the toning down of the message that our churches have communicated to us through the language of architecture. As the successor to Ralph Adams Cram's architectural practice, Anthony makes the case that church architecture based on the Gothic language is a timeless response. more...
St. Thomas Aquinas and Church ArchitectureBecause a church is a visible building it stands as a special sign of the pilgrim Church on earth and reflects one Church dwelling in Heaven. Domincan Fr. Giles Dimmock explore the connection between the theological writings of the Angelic Doctor and church architecture. more...
The Constantinian Episcopal BasilicaRecent excavation efforts have revealed the remains of a long lost basilica at the important imperial foundation of Ostia. Two scholars with the German archeological Institute in Rome offer a preliminary report of the findings and what their importance to understanding the form of the early Christian basilicas. more...
Glossary of Church Architectural TermsNot sure of the difference between a pillar and a pilaster? Afraid you don't know your apse from your narthex? Then this is the ideal reference page for you. Michael S. Rose has assembled succinct definitions of the most commonly used terms in church architecture. more...
