Kreuzkirche (architecture)

The late Romanesque village church of Pilsum ( East Friesland ), before the Reformation St. Stefani, now also a "cruciform church" according to its name

As a concept of architecture , a cruciform church is a church with a cruciform floor plan.

Shape of the cross

Basically, this floor plan can have the shape of a Greek cross , with arms of equal length that intersect each other in the middle, or a Latin cross , the longer “trunk” of which is cut asymmetrically by a transverse arm that is itself symmetrically divided.

Architectural focus

If the axes of the building are about the same length and their intersection, the crossing forms its architectural focus, then such a cruciform church is a central building . In many cruciform churches, however, the nave is significantly longer and often wider than the transept, and the architectural focal points are the choir (mostly) in the east and one or two bell towers in the west. Quite a few cruciform churches cannot be clearly assigned to one or the other type.

Diversity and differentiation

The cross shape is particularly evident in single-nave cross arms. Churches of this type are referred to as single-nave cruciform churches and cross-shaped hall churches . In cross basilicas , the transept often protrudes only slightly from the sides of the nave. In the vast majority of cross- domed churches , the domes or the dome with adjoining semi-domes or barrel vaults instead form a cross, but the overall floor plan is rectangular, mostly extended by one or more apses .