Style & Architecture

Introduction

Local Context: What plan and style is your local church?

• Think about the shape your local church forms on the ground.

• Is it a cross? Does it have a tower? Is it circular or octagonal?

• Are there columns in the church – they leave a footprint on the ground too.

Method: Document the decoration of your church

• You need for all of the areas of the building that are ornamented.

• This could be window and door surrounds, capitals at the top of columns, bases at the bottom of columns

Consider

• What shape are the windows and doors? Are they made of round arches, pointed arches? Or are they square? This tells you a lot about the ‘style’ of the building.

• Are the windows and doors decorated with ornamental carvings?

• How is the space within the church divided up? Are there columns supporting round arches, pointed arches or a continuous flat wall?

• How big are the windows? How much of the wall do they take up? Modernist buildings often have large surfaces of glass.

Task

Go and visit your local church. Using the questions to consider above as a guide, make note of the stylistic features of the building. Do this by sketching them or photographing them.

You can then use the websites provided in the ‘Discover More’ section to find out what architectural style your building is in.