Places of worship

KEY POINTS: x Architects engaged with religious buildings and places of wor-

ship will inevitably be concerned with tradition and ritual to a greater extent than with buildings of other types

x Often, within churches or other Christian buildings, new architectural interventions concern the addition of secular/community spaces which allow the parish to extend its social reach and perhaps generate funds

Contents 1 Introduction

Part A Guide to Christian denominations

2 Church of England 3 Roman Catholic Church 4 United Reformed Church 5 The Salvation Army 6 Methodist Church 7 Baptist Church and Baptistries 8 Society of Friends 9 Pastoral centres

Part B Design data

10 Altar or communion table 11 Sanctuary furniture and pulpit 12 Font 13 Reservation of the sacrament 14 General arrangements 15 Vestries and sacristies 16 Confessional 17 Organ and choir

Part C Non-Christian places of worship

18 Synagogues 19 Mosques 20 Hindu temple 21 Sikh gurdwara

Part D Additional information

22 Crematoria 23 Bibliography

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope This chapter will cover churches and places of worship for various Christian denominations, synagogues, mosques and Hindu temples. Places of local worship only are dealt with, not larger buildings like cathedrals or those with social spaces, which are not significantly different from social spaces in secular buildings, and for which Chapter 17 (Community centres) provides further advice.