A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building.[1] In cruciform ("cross-shaped") churches, in particular within the Romanesque and GothicChristianchurch architectural traditions, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave. Each half of a transept is known as a semitransept.[1]
Occasionally, the basilicas and the church and cathedral planning that descended from them were built without transepts; sometimes the transepts were reduced to matched chapels. More often, the transepts extended well beyond the sides of the rest of the building, forming the shape of a cross. This design is called a Latin cross ground plan, and these extensions are known as the "arms" of the transept.[1] A Greek cross ground plan, with all four extensions the same length, produces a central-plan structure.
When churches have only one transept, as at Pershore Abbey, there is generally a historical disaster, fire, war or funding problem, to explain the anomaly. At Beauvais only the chevet and transepts stand; the nave of the cathedral was never completed after a collapse of the daring high vaulting in 1284. At St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, only the choir and part of a southern transept were completed until a renewed building campaign in the 19th century.
The word "transept" is occasionally extended to mean any subsidiary corridor crossing a larger main corridor, such as the cross-halls or "transepts" of The Crystal Palace, London, of glass and iron that was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851.
In a metro station or similar construction, a transept is a space over the platforms and tracks of a station with side platforms, containing the bridge between the platforms. Placing the bridge in a transept rather than an enclosed tunnel allows passengers to see the platforms, creating a less cramped feeling and making orientation easier.
transept, periodical, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, decem. For the periodical see The Transept This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Transept news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message A transept with two semitransepts is a transverse part of any building which lies across the main body of the building 1 In cruciform cross shaped churches in particular within the Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architectural traditions a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave Each half of a transept is known as a semitransept 1 Cathedral ground plan The shaded area is the transept the darker shading at the centre represents the crossing South transept at Kilcooly Abbey County Tipperary Ireland Contents 1 Description 2 Other senses of the word 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDescription editThe transept of a church separates the nave from the sanctuary apse choir chevet presbytery or chancel The transepts cross the nave at the crossing which belongs equally to the main nave axis and to the transept Upon its four piers the crossing may support a spire e g Salisbury Cathedral a central tower e g Gloucester Cathedral or a crossing dome e g St Paul s Cathedral Since the altar is usually located at the east end of a church a transept extends to the north and south The north and south end walls often hold decorated windows of stained glass such as rose windows in stone tracery Occasionally the basilicas and the church and cathedral planning that descended from them were built without transepts sometimes the transepts were reduced to matched chapels More often the transepts extended well beyond the sides of the rest of the building forming the shape of a cross This design is called a Latin cross ground plan and these extensions are known as the arms of the transept 1 A Greek cross ground plan with all four extensions the same length produces a central plan structure When churches have only one transept as at Pershore Abbey there is generally a historical disaster fire war or funding problem to explain the anomaly At Beauvais only the chevet and transepts stand the nave of the cathedral was never completed after a collapse of the daring high vaulting in 1284 At St Vitus Cathedral Prague only the choir and part of a southern transept were completed until a renewed building campaign in the 19th century nbsp Vault of the northern semitransept of Saint Catherine s Old Church Zejtun MaltaOther senses of the word editThe word transept is occasionally extended to mean any subsidiary corridor crossing a larger main corridor such as the cross halls or transepts of The Crystal Palace London of glass and iron that was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 In a metro station or similar construction a transept is a space over the platforms and tracks of a station with side platforms containing the bridge between the platforms Placing the bridge in a transept rather than an enclosed tunnel allows passengers to see the platforms creating a less cramped feeling and making orientation easier See also editAisle Cathedral architecture Cathedral diagram Glossary of the Catholic Church Transom architectural References edit a b c Transept ProbertEncyclopaedia com Archived from the original on October 25 2012 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Transepts Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Transept Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 27 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 172 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Transept amp oldid 1188702716, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
