Church architectural elements
See also: Architectural elements. Exterior[edit]
Apse
A semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault at the east end
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Arcade
A passage or walkway covered over by a succession of arches or vaults supported by columns
Architrave
A moulded or ornamental band framing a rectangular opening. It is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns
Archivolt, ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch.More images... 
Baptistery
A separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the baptismal font
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Bell tower
A tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none
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Buttress
An architectural structure built against (a counterfort) or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall
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Chapel
A place of worship sometimes attached to a large church and sometimes a stand-alone structure
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Chapter house
A building or room attached to a cathedral or monastery in which meetings are held
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Chevet
Apses that are built as radiating chapels outside the choir aisle
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Church tower
A tall tower, sometimes topped by a spire
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Cloister
an enclosed space, commonly in the form of a green square with surrounding arcades, that forms the central part of a monastery
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Corbel
A piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight
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Crossing tower
The tower built above the junction of the four arms of a cruciform (cross-shaped) church
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Dome
A structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere
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Facade
The significant front of the church usually on the west front but can be on the side as well
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Flèche
A spire or a lead-covered timber spire that are placed on the ridges of church or cathedral roofs and are usually relatively small
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Flying buttress
A type of buttress that are used to transmit the horizontal thrust of a vault across an intervening space
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Gargoyle
A carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building
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Onion dome
A bulbous shaped dome resembled the onion
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Portal
A main entrance, on the church facade, usually highly ornamented.
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Tympanum
A semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance bounded by a lintel and arch
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Refectory
A dining room, especially in monasteries
Interior[edit]
Aisle
A space for walking with rows of seats on either side or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other
Altar
A structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religious purposes
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Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar
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Altar rails
A set of railings, sometimes ornate and frequently of marble or wood, delimiting the chancel
Ambulatory
The covered passage around a cloister or a walkway around the apse
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Archivolt
An ornamental molding or band following the curve of the underside of an arch
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Ante-choir. A space in a church between the outer gate or railing of the rood screen and the door of the screen; sometimes there is only one rail, gate or door.
Baldachin
A canopy of state over an altar or throne
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Baptismal font
An article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.
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Bay
A unit defined as the zone between the outside edges of an engaged column, pilaster, post, or vertical wall area
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Boss
A a knob or protrusion of stone or wood. Bosses can often be found in the ceilings of buildings, particularly at the intersection of a vault.
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Capital
The crowning part at the top of a column or a pilaster
Cathedra
The chair or throne of a bishop.
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Chantry
An institutional chapel on private land or within a greater church, where a priest would chant masses
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Choir
The area usually in the western part of the chancel between the nave and the sanctuary (which houses the altar)
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Ciborium
A canopy or covering supported by columns, freestanding in the sanctuary, that covers the altar
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Clerestory
An upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows.
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Column
An architectural support that may form part of a colonnade
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Confession
A cabinet-like unit in a church used for conducting confession
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Consecration crosses
Crosses on the walls of a catholic church or cathedral showing where the catholic bishop has anointed the church with chrism oil in order to consecrate it "for the Glory of God".
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Crossing
The junction of the four arms of a cruciform (cross-shaped) church
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Crypt
A stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a church usually used as a chapel or burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics
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Effigy
A representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture
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Fan vault
A form of vault used in the Perpendicular Gothic style, in which the ribs are all of the same curve and spaced equidistantly, in a manner resembling a fan.
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High altar
The main altar of a church
Hypogeum
An underground temple or tomb
Keystone
A piece at the crown of a vault or arch which marks its apex, locking the other pieces into position.
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Labyrinth
A single Eulerian path to the center sometimes laid on the floor of a large church
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Matroneum
Originally a gallery on the interior of a building, later in medieval churches they became an architectonic elements, placed over the side aisles.
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Nave
The central approach to the high altar
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Narthex
The entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave that is either an indoor area separated from the nave by a screen or rail, or an external structure such as a porch to allow space for those not eligible for admittance into the general congregation.
Parapet
A wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof or structure
Pinnacle
An architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations
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Pipe organ
A major musical instrument in a church usually placed above entrance on the west side
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Processional poles
A long stick, often decorated at the top with statues of saints, used for carrying in religious processions.
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Pulpit
A small elevated platform from which a member of the clergy delivers a sermon
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Pulpit altar
A pulpit centrally located in the same position as the main altar
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Rood screen
An ornate screen, constructed of wood, stone or wrought iron used for dividing the chancel from the nave
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Rose window
A circular window especially used in Gothic churches and divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery
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Royal Arms
A wall relief or painting of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, usually found in Anglican churches, representing loyalty to the British crown
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Sedilia
The seats (often) on the south side of the chancel near the altar for the use of the officiating priests
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Side altar
Secondary altars of a church
Side-chapel
A chapel within a cathedral or larger church building
Solomonic column
A helical column, characterized by a spiraling twisting shaft like a corkscrew.
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Stained glass window
A window decorated with coloured glass
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Stoup
A vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church
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Tabernacle
A portable dwelling place for the divine presence
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Transept
The area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building
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Triforium
A shallow gallery of arches within the thickness of inner wall, which stands above the nave
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Vault
An arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof
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Window
An opening in a wall that allows the passage of light
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