ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses 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. In the architecture of places of worship for the more established denominations the architect is bound to be more concerned with tradition than in other fields. Exact details of the forms of worship and building procedures should be discussed with the individual clients, and the architectural implications thoroughly understood. Some protestant churches, particularly Methodist and United Reformed Church, are now uniting to form Local Ecumenical Projects, both as a visible expression of church unity and in recognition of declining numbers and reducing resources. Such projects are set up under the Sharing of Churches Act which imposes some legal requirements in addition to the particular requirements of the participants.
